Life, Death and Magic
by Night Shade 1427
Summary: When Sirius Black is discovered within Soul Society, it becomes evident that there is something worth checking out in the living world now that the Winter War is over. Now Ichigo, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Renji have to do all they can to stop Voldemort.
1. Diagon Alley and a Mission

Hey, this is my first Bleach story, so I hope I do well with it. This is an idea I've been pondering for a good while, so hopefully, it's a good enough one.

Hope you like it.

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Chapter OneMission and Diagon Alley

Kurosaki Ichigo grumbled as he, Hitsugaya Toushirou, Matsumoto Rangiku and Abarai Renji stepped into the pub called the Leaky Cauldron. They were being sent to act as transfer students at a school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the purpose of protecting Harry Potter and investigating the wizard, Voldemort, who had severely violated Soul Society laws by severing his soul into seven pieces.

"What kind of name is Hogwarts anyways?" he muttered under his breath as he and the other two Shinigami made their way through the pub. He glared as he noticed people staring at them. The three of them were quite noticeable due to Ichigo's vibrant hair color, Hitsugaya's white hair and icy demeanor, Matsumoto's more-than-ample bust and Renji's tattoos.

"It's just as bad a name as the Leaky Cauldron." Renji quipped in response and he and Ichigo snickered. Hitsugaya just rolled his eyes.

"Will you two focus for once on what we're supposed to do and not trivial matters like names?" he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. He was a bit on the crabby side because he'd had to endure many weird looks and people coming up to him, cooing about how he was "such a cute little kid." The temperature around him was becoming quite frigid, so Renji and Ichigo were giving him a pretty wide berth.

"So what exactly are we supposed to be doing in this place?" Matsumoto inquired, looking around in slight interest, seemingly oblivious to the enamored looks she was receiving from many of the men.

"This place will lead us to the gateway to Diagon Alley, a wizard market place where we can get school supplies." Hitsugaya said. "If the three of you had been _listening_ to Yamamoto-so-taichou when he'd been telling us of the mission, you wouldn't be asking that question."

"It's not our fault that he's so boring to listen to." Ichigo grumbled. He didn't really like Yamamoto all that much. The man was way too rigid in how he handled certain things. It didn't relieve Ichigo's fears of what would happen to him if Soul Society found out about his Inner Hollow. It may just make things more difficult for the other Vizard as well.

Ichigo didn't even know what would happen if Yamamoto realized that the Vizard had played a part in the Winter War, choosing to side with Ichigo, as he was one of their own against Aizen's plans. As much as they hated the Shinigami, it was their world that Aizen was messing with. All of Aizen's plans had been thwarted, the majority of his Arrancar destroyed and the Hougyoku ceased to exist anymore. The biggest concern was that Aizen and Gin were still ought there somewhere. They hadn't caused any disturbances in the last few months of peace but Ichigo and Hitsugaya had a strong feeling that they'd be seeing the two traitorous Shinigami again one day.

To many people, the Winter War was over, but there were those in the Gotei 13 who believed that this was only the calm before the storm. Aizen would be back for sure.

It was in the middle of this calm that Ichigo was selected as Captain of the 5th Division, Renji for the 3rd Division and Hisagi had taken over the 9th Division. A short while after that, a living man trapped in Soul Society had been discovered and he'd been brought in for questioning by Yamamoto. This man, Sirius Black, explained how he had fallen through the Veil of Death in a place called the Ministry of Magic and then proceeded to explain about Voldemort and the heavy disturbances being caused by him and his Death Eaters. Yamamoto had people do some investigation and upon finding out about Voldemort's atrocities had ordered Ichigo, Hitsugaya, Renji and Matsumoto to act.

Sirius Black, now believed dead to the living world, although he was very much living, was also given a role in the mission. He'd be like Ichigo, as a representative of Soul Society. They didn't turn him into a Shinigami, but his responsibilities were about the same. He'd help them out with their problems and he'd help them out with theirs. They were planting him as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at the school under the guise of a half-British half-Japanese man named Kuroba Orion. He'd disguised himself with magic, so now Sirius had neatly trimmed chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes and he appeared to have a bit more of an oriental appearance to back up his "heritage."

Hitsugaya just sighed.

"Anyways, let's just get this over with. Kuroba-san is waiting for us back at our current lodgings." He said as they went into the alley. Hitsugaya did the necessary combination to open the alley and they all went in.

Ichigo, Matsumoto and Renji looked around in avid interest at all the different stores, completely awed.

"This place is so cool… look at what they all wear… so different than our normal boring Shinigami robes…" Matsumoto said, wide-eyed.

Hitsugaya shook his head. Matsumoto always had shopping on the brain.

"Where are we going first?" Ichigo inquired curiously.

"Gringotts Bank. We need to get money first. Yamamoto-so-taichou already opened a bank account for us, using our Captain's salary." Hitsugaya said as they headed to the big white building a small distance away.

Ichigo whistled, looking at the place in awe.

"This place is cool." He said before looking at the message warning people from trying to steal. "Wonder what happens to people who try?"

"I don't think you should ponder such a thing, Kurosaki. You'd only waste precious brain cells on something pointless." Hitsugaya said. Ichigo scowled slightly before shrugging.

"What are these things? They look almost as ugly as Hollows." Renji said, looking at the goblins with distaste.

"I don't want to know." Matsumoto said with a small grimace as Hitsugaya led them to one. Sirius had made translation bracelets for all of them, so they didn't have to worry about not understanding people or people not being able to understand them.

"We'd like to withdraw some money from our account, please." Hitsugaya said politely and the goblin, Griphook, gave them a stoic look.

"Do you have your key?" he asked and Hitsugaya showed it to the goblin. Griphook led them to one of the carts and they headed off.

When they finally got out of there, both Hitsugaya and Renji looked a little green to the face from the rather… rough… ride while Ichigo and Matsumoto looked absolutely thrilled from it.

"Let's do it again!" Matsumoto said enthusiastically, only to get a glare from her Captain.

"Okay… now we need to get the supplies. We should split this up so we can get everything faster. Abarai, you and Kurosaki will get the potion supplies from the Apothecary while Matsumoto and I will go get the books from Flourish and Blotts. After that, we'll meet up at Madame Malkin's and get our robes." Hitsugaya said. The group nodded and went their separate ways.

When they met up at Madame Malkin's, they could see that Hitsugaya was beyond irritated. Ichigo and Renji gave Matsumoto an inquiring look.

"Everyone thought he was a first year and they were treating him like a little kid that needed to be babied… lucky I got him out of there before he turned them all into icicles." Matsumoto said; sweat dropping at her angry Captain.

"Hn." Hitsugaya just grumbled under his breath as Renji and Ichigo shook their heads. They kind of wanted to make fun of Hitsugaya for that but they knew, for the sake of their lives, that it was not a good idea.

They headed into Madame Malkin's and again, they got a lot of attention for their… rather odd attributes.

Hitsugaya was getting even more irritated as his robes were being measured as he was around the same size as the first year students getting their robes and they kept trying to talk to him as if they were in the same boat.

Renji got a lot of disapproving looks due to the number of tattoos he had. He looked like an everyday punk and he had a feeling that many thought he would cause nothing but trouble.

Ichigo had a better reception because his orange hair wasn't so much of a novelty here in Europe though he did get a lot of questions about if he was in any way related to the Weasley family… whoever they were.

Matsumoto had a bit of a harder time with the measurements due to her bust size. She didn't really care if it was exposed some, but due to school standards she'd have to keep it covered and she kept complaining that it was too suffocating for her.

The harried Shinigami were more than happy to get out of Madam Malkin's.

"All we have left to get are our wands." Matsumoto said, sounding pretty excited. The others nodded, a bit less enthusiastic than her. They were worn out by then.

They stepped into Ollivanders and they didn't see anyone at first.

"You're here to get your wands, I suppose." A voice said from behind them. The four Shinigami jumped before seeing an old man with strange glazed over eyes standing behind them.

"Are you Ollivander?" Hitsugaya asked and the man nodded.

"That I am. So… which one of you would like to go first?" he inquired and Matsumoto bounded forward happily. "Which hand is your wand hand?"

Matsumoto looked confused at first before realizing he must mean her dominant hand and she raised her right.

A magic tape measure started doing her measurements and it irritated Hitsugaya greatly when the tape measure went on to measure her bust size… particularly when he didn't think that had any relevance. The tape measure dropped to the floor frozen.

Ollivander stared at it, seeming bewildered, but then he just shrugged it off and handed Matsumoto a wand.

"9-inch, oak, kind of flimsy with a dragon heart-string as a core. Go ahead and wave it about." Ollivander declared. Matsumoto did so and ended up destroying a vase. The other three Shinigami just watched in bewilderment. Ollivander took it back. "That's not the one."

He rejected a few more wands before he handed another one.

"Here, try this one. It's a 10-inch holly wand with a whisker from a magical cat." Ollivander said. Matsumoto took it and felt Haineko react to it almost instantly. It appeared her zanpakutou approved of the wand.

"I think this one is the one." She decided as she gave it a wave and a small spray of ash came out of it.

"Very good." Ollivander said, sounding approving. "Next?"

Renji went up next and the wands that Ollivander first handed him were disastrous.

"Try this one, an 8 and ½ inch oak wand with a piece of a chimera's tail as a core." Ollivander said. Renji gave it a wave as he heard Zabimaru's approval and a small red flare came out of it.

Hitsugaya went next and the first few wands he tried were frozen completely as Hyourinmaru roared out his disapproval. A harried Ollivander reluctantly handed another one over.

"An 11-inch rosewood wand made with the heartstring of a rare ice dragon as a core." He said, hoping that this wand wouldn't freeze as well. But Hyourinmaru seemed pleased with this one and only a small amount of snow came out of wand. Ollivander sighed in relief and Hitsugaya smirked, pleased.

Now it was Ichigo's turn.

Ollivander had the hardest time trying to find a wand for him, because it wasn't only Zangetsu rejecting wands, but Shiro was too. They didn't seem very pleased with the entire wand-picking process.

Finally, Ollivander came across a strange wand and he pondered the possibilities.

He handed a strange bone white wand, with a splash of red on it, to Ichigo.

"This wand was carved out from a strange bone-like mask I found somewhere in Japan. It's 9 and ½ inches long with pieces of moonstone as its core." Ollivander said. Ichigo instantly thought of a Hollow's mask at the description of the bone mask.

Zangetsu and Shiro approved of this wand and a strange red-tinted black energy came out of it.

They paid for their wands and they headed back for their current lodgings. They weren't going to get any pets as they felt no need to have one.

"So, how did things go?" Sirius asked curiously as they returned to the apartment.

"It was alright… a bit tiring, though. I'm glad we're back now." Ichigo said, sitting down on a chair.

"We've got a month until we have to go to the school. I suggest we start catching up on our studies if we're going to successfully pass off as sixth year students." Hitsugaya said and the other three Shinigami groaned.

"I hate studying…" Matsumoto grumbled as they started reading up on all the material they'd need to know before the school started. Sirius just watched them all in amusement. In the short time he'd known them, he'd found them to be quite the amusing group… for death gods at least.


	2. The Hogwarts Express

I hope this chapter was to your liking. I'm a pretty open kind of person, so if there is any sort of idea you guys have that you want to see in this fanfic than I'll try my best to see if I can work it in. It's always fun to see what other people think about these kinds of stories.

So far the only pairing that is set in stone is Hitsugaya/Matsumoto. I really don't like Hinamori and if I even choose to put her in, it would most likely be to put a little tension in for Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. But if there's any kind of pairing you want to see for the other characters, feel free to suggest.

Chapter TwoThe Hogwarts Express

The long month before it was time to go to Hogwarts passed and now it was time to board the Hogwarts Express.

"Where the hell is Platform 9 and ¾?" Ichigo asked irritably as they stood in between Platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross Station.

Hitsugaya's vivid green eyes glanced between the two platforms before he picked up on something.

"There's a strange force surrounding this area." He said, touching one side of the barrier and his hand went right through. "This is how we can get in. If you had the ability to sense reiatsu, Kurosaki, this would have come easily to you."

"You all know I suck at that, no need to rub it in, Toushirou." Ichigo grumbled. Hitsugaya gave him a glare.

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou to you." He said with a huff before going through the barrier. The other three Shinigami soon followed.

"There's quite a crowd here." Matsumoto mused, looking at the large number of students and their family

"We've got to find Kuroba-san. He went on ahead before us, rather keen on getting a glimpse of his godson." Hitsugaya said, scanning the area for the disguised Sirius Black.

"He could have at least told us how to get into the platform…" Renji grumbled as they made their way over to the train.

"I don't think he'd really been thinking about that. I assume it's kind of a natural process for most wizards so they barely consider the idea that people wouldn't know how to get onto the platform." Ichigo mused, looking thoughtful.

"That's pretty perceptive of you, Kurosaki. It's good to see you actually use your brain every once in a while." Hitsugaya teased and Ichigo glared slightly, but without any real malice.

They found Sirius – now Orion – sitting in a compartment, looking thoughtful.

"Everything alright, Kuroba-kun?" Matsumoto inquired in slight concern as they settled down in the compartment. Orion turned to them.

"Everything's alright. I'm just wondering… how is Harry handling things? Is he still upset over what happened in the Department of Mysteries or is he moving on? I don't want to see him suffering…" Orion mused. "I didn't get to see him on the Platform."

"You'll see him for sure when we get to the school, there's no denying that, Kuroba-kun. A little patience will do us all good." Hitsugaya said.

Four students suddenly entered the compartment, and the four Shinigami could clearly see Orion's eyes spark with emotion at the sight of them.

There was a boy with messy jet black hair and vivid green eyes, similar to Hitsugaya's, with an abnormal lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. From how Orion was staring at him, the Shinigami could only assume that this was Harry Potter. Next to him was a pretty red-haired girl with warm brown hairs and freckles decorating her nose, a blonde girl with a dreamy look in her blue eyes, and a slightly pudgy, nervous looking boy with brown hair.

"Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full." The red-haired girl inquired and the Shinigami nodded.

"I've never seen any of you here before. Are you new students?" Harry inquired curiously. The Shinigami nodded.

"We're transferring here from Japan, from a school called Shinigami Academy." Hitsugaya said. "I am Toushirou Hitsugaya."

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Renji Abarai."

"And I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. It's nice to meet you all!" the bubbly fukutaichou exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to the two boys ogling her chest. A narrow eyed glare from Hitsugaya and an elbow to the chest courtesy of the girls made Harry and the brown haired boy come back to their senses.

"I'm Neville Longbottom. It's nice to meet you. I didn't know Hogwarts took transfer students…" the brown haired boy declared, sounding fascinated.

"I'm Ginny Weasley, I'm sure you'll like Hogwarts." The redhead said with a warm smile.

"I'm Luna Lovegood." The dreamy girl said with a slight dazed smile.

"I'm… Harry Potter." The black haired boy said, bracing himself for the eyes moving towards his scar.

It never came.

He stared and though he saw recognition in their eyes, they didn't go look at the scar. As if it held no importance to his identity at all. Somehow, that made him feel better.

"What year are you guys going to be in?"Ginny inquired, looking interested.

"Sixth year, what about you?" Matsumoto inquired.

"Sixth year? Even you?" Neville asked, looking at Hitsugaya. Hitsugaya's neutral look turned to an annoyed frown and Neville retreated, just a little intimidated.

"Hitsugaya-kun is a bit of a genius, you can say. He skipped quite a few years." Matsumoto said, covering for her taichou, feeling the decrease in temperature in the compartment.

"Well, Neville and I are going to be sixth years as well, so maybe we'll have classes together as well. Ginny and Luna are going to be fifth year students and thus will be dealing with their O.W.L.s." Harry said, upon seeing the confused looks on the Shinigami's face, he quickly explained. "O.W.L.s stands for Ordinary Wizarding Levels. It's a series of tests fifth year students have to take."

"That makes sense I guess." Renji mused with a shrug of his shoulders.

That was when Harry noticed the adult in the compartment.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we didn't notice you." He apologized. "Are you going to be a professor here?"

Orion remained silent for a moment before smiling and nodding.

"Yeah, I'm going to be your new Defense against the Dark Arts professor. I'm Orion Kuroba. It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said.

Harry couldn't help but feel Orion was familiar in some way but shook it off. It was most likely just his mind playing tricks on him.

"At least the mystery of the next DADA teacher has been solved." Ginny said optimistically.

"Anyone is better than Umbridge." Neville and Harry chorused together. While the Shinigami continued to look confused, Orion grimaced.

"Trust me, I won't be like that toad woman at all." He said with a definite tone. Harry grinned. He liked this guy already.

"Who's Umbridge?" Renji asked curiously.

"She was our old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. She was horrible too. She was sent by the Ministry to interfere at Hogwarts because they thought Dumbledore was trying to create an army to overthrow the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Well… he's not our Minister anymore. He resigned when everyone realized that Harry _wasn't_ lying about You-Know-Who being back." Neville declared.

"You-Know-Who?" Ichigo repeated with a blank look. "Who's that?"

"That's a name many people know Voldemort as. They're much too afraid to say his real name." Orion explained with a shake of his head.

"Well, that's just silly." Matsumoto said.

Harry and his crew just looked at each other. These transfer students didn't seem at all scared of Voldemort at all. They seemed… almost bored when it came to the threat of seeing the Dark wizard. Now that was odd…

As initial conversations faded into the background, Harry and Ginny began discussing Quidditch, which caught the attention of the Shinigami.

"What's Quidditch?" Renji inquired, looking confused. Harry and his friends stared at the Shinigami, wide-eyed.

"You don't know what Quidditch is?" Harry gaped and then proceeded to explain everything about the sport. Matsumoto seemed a little bored with it, but the boys seemed particularly fascinated.

"I'm the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and it's going to be a tough one because this year, we have to find two Beaters and a couple Chasers now that we've lost most of the main team." Harry said. "Speaking of Gryffindor… which House do you all hope to get in?"

The Shinigami looked at each other, even more confused.

"What are… these Houses?" Hitsugaya inquired with a small frown.

"You really don't know much about Hogwarts." Neville realized and the Shinigami shook their heads. The four wizards then proceeded to explain the Houses to the newcomers.

"I honestly don't know what House I'm best suited to." Ichigo mused, looking thoughtful. "But Slytherin doesn't seem all that great a choice…"

"I'd say. All Dark wizards come from that House." Harry said. "Malfoy's the worst of them all."

"Who's Malfoy?" Renji said, looking confused all over again.

"That would be me." An arrogant voice said and everyone turned to see the platinum blonde boy standing there with his two goons looking as cocky as ever. "You sure need to learn manners, Potter. Talking about people behind their back… not a very nice thing to do."

"You're the King of talking behind people's backs." Harry retorted, glaring at his arch enemy. Malfoy just sneered before his eyes fell onto the Shinigami.

"Who are you?" he asked rudely. The Shinigami gave him bored looks, rolled their eyes, and turned away, completely dismissing him.

Malfoy didn't like that at all.

"I asked you a question!" he exclaimed but they still ignored him and Harry and Ginny snickered at the obvious dismissal Malfoy was receiving. Even Orion was having fun seeing Malfoy trying to catch the attention of four people he _shouldn't_ be messing with.

Malfoy continued to rant at them, trying to catch their attention… until Renji and Ichigo's patience wore thin.

They stood up to their full height (which admittedly was more impressive for Renji than Ichigo,) and glared at Malfoy.

"It's obvious that we're not listening to you, brat, so why don't you run off like the little wimp you are?" Renji said with a look of disgust. Malfoy looked thoroughly affronted.

Malfoy looked ready to argue against that but Ichigo had no patience for it. He lifted Malfoy clear off his feet.

"Look kid, we have no desire to talk or have to suffer through your presence here, so scram" he tossed Malfoy back to the entrance, where he was stabilized by Crabbe and Goyle.

"I'll get you for this!" he exclaimed before he and his goons ran off.

"What a spoiled brat." Matsumoto declared with a roll of her eyes. Harry and his friends were laughing pretty hard at Malfoy's mistreatment.

"That's Malfoy for you. He thinks he rules this place." Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

"Ron and Hermione haven't popped up yet… I guess their rounds are taking them longer than before. I guess we'll have to wait to see them at the Feast." Ginny mused, looking at the time. "We're almost there. We should get changed."

The rest of the trip seemed pretty calm in comparison to what had happened before and they finally arrived at Hogsmeade station.

"_From here, we'll be going separate ways for a bit. We'll have to find a proper meeting time and place so we can discuss our mission._" Orion said in Japanese, something they had helped him pick up over the summer months. He still was slightly faulty but he was a pretty fast learner.

The Shinigami nodded and turned to go to where a giant man was calling for the First year and transfer students.

The four of them filed into one boat and stared at the large castle they were heading for in interest. So this was the location of their mission…


	3. Sorting

Here's another chapter. Hope the Sorting is to your liking. I tried to reason it out to the best of my abilities.

**Wild Dragon's Breath**: I'm in complete agreement with you. Ichigo and Renji are very well suited to Gryffindor, aren't they?

**The Dragon Bard**: I know that Ollivander only uses unicorn hair, dragon heartstrings and phoenix feathers. I just thought I could add a few… innovations. I apologize if working around some cannon stuff doesn't suit some people's liking.

**Brokenwindow23**: glad you like the idea. And I love the idea of Hitsugaya's losing his temper as well. There will be plenty of Hitsugaya action in the story.

Disclaimer (since I've been forgetting to do so lately): I, in no way, own Harry Potter or Bleach (though how I wish I could own Bleach).

Chapter Three The Sorting

The four Shinigami stood in the Entrance Hall with all the first years, looking rather out of place.

Ichigo kept reaching towards his back almost as if he was trying to gather some semblance of control through the reassuring presence of his zanpakutou… but of course, he was in human form, and thus, didn't really have Zangetsu. That left him rather unpleased.

Matsumoto didn't look nervous at all. She was never one to let odd looks and whispers bug her. So she stood tall and proud beside her captain, who was also quite used to such attention and bore it through his rather cold stature. Those who knew him well knew he was more than some cold-hearted person though, and that's all that mattered.

Renji was just looking around to distract himself. He wondered how long they'd have to wait until they got food. They'd have to go through this… Sorting first.

Professor McGonagall came over and took the first year students into the Great Hall, leaving the four Shinigami alone in the Entrance Hall, much to their relief.

"Hopefully we'll all be in the same House… it would be best if we could all stick together." Ichigo said. The others just shrugged. It all depended on the Sorting.

Their curiosity over how the Sorting would be done was quelled as a rather disapproving looking Deputy Headmistress led them into the Great Hall, which instantly filled with people whispering about them and blatant ogling.

Matsumoto had to nudge Hitsugaya to make him realize that he was making the other Shinigami suffer from frost bite from his irritation. He gave them all an apologetic look and tried to quell his and Hyourinmaru's clear displeasure of what was going on.

They stared at the tattered wizard's hat curiously as Professor McGonagall began reading out their names.

"Abarai Renji." She said and Renji stepped up to the stool, amongst the slightly lovesick sighs of his new female admirers.

He put on the hat, curious about what was going to happen.

'_Ah… we've got ourselves a Death God in our midst… how interesting. You're a brash one with great determination to become as strong if not more strong than your… former Captain. You're very protective of your friends and extremely loyal. You're not above breaking a few rules to do what you feel is right and you'll risk your very life to back your friends up when times get rough. You're not the brightest, though… so Ravenclaw is definitely out. You're not Slytherin material at all, either. Hufflepuff is too soft a place for you, so there's only one place you can go…_' the hat said in Renji's mind. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table cheered loudly as a beaming Renji headed over, pleased to have gotten into a decent house. Now if only the others could get into this one…

"Hitsugaya Toushirou."

The whispers following Hitsugaya weren't so much out of admiration (though there were some girls who appeared enamored with him) as much as amused by his short stature and strange hair. This didn't leave Hitsugaya in a very good mood as he put on the Sorting Hat.

'_We've got another Captain now… you're an ambitious one. You have a strong desire to prove yourself as more than a child genius everyone sees you as and thus, you hide yourself behind an icy exterior. You're very intelligent and don't like breaking rules very much but will do so in dire times. You have a strong desire to protect those around you and the guilt you feel for the times you have failed is great… You're courage, though, is quite a defining feature for you, otherwise I would say you were fit for Ravenclaw or Slytherin. So without any further ado…_" the Sorting Hat began. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Hitsugaya removed the hat and made his way over to the table, looking calm and dignified, sitting beside Renji, who had taken a seat near Harry and his friends, who had happily welcomed them into their House.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Professor McGonagall went on.

Ichigo took a deep breath and went over to the Sorting Hat, his normal scowl clear on his face. That still didn't deter the attention he got though.

'_Ah… now you're slightly different. You're a very strong individual who has a strong desire to protect those around you. Your determination is admirable… as is… your desire to become stronger. You fear what would happen if your allies were to discover that other half of your soul but you no longer fear this anomaly as you once did. You've learned from him and learned how to cooperate with him in order to protect those you care about all the more efficiently. Your pride is great and you're a bit reckless when it comes to getting into conflicts, a clear Gryffindor trait. That seems like the best place for you so your new House is..._' the Sorting Hat said. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ichigo smirked and headed over, getting an approving nod from Hitsugaya and a smack on the back from Renji. Now only Matsumoto was left and she went up with a wide smile, ignoring the cat calls she was receiving from most of the men. Hitsugaya, on the other hand, didn't seem pleased with the degrading manner they were viewing his fukutaichou, and the ominous aura that surrounded him eventually quelled the uproar.

'_You're quite the vivacious one. You're a bit on the lazy side and much prefer to have fun than do work, but when it comes down to it, you're very loyal and efficient at what you do. You'd do anything for your Captain and do whatever it took to save an innocent soul. I know where to put you._' The Hat said. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor House was having a field day, having got all the new transfer students. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw gave polite applause while Slytherin just sulked.

"So things worked in our favor." Ichigo said, sounding pleased.

"Congratulations for making it into the best House of them all." A red-haired boy, sitting next to Harry said with a wide smile. "I'm Ron Weasley. Harry told me you all sat together on the train. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Hermione Granger. It will be interesting having all of you around. You're the first transfer students to come to Hogwarts in a very long time." A bushy brown haired girl said before elbowing Ron, who was blatantly ogling Matsumoto, completely ignorant of the glare Hitsugaya was sending his way.

"It's nice to meet you both. From what we were told, you two are… prefects?" Matsumoto questioned, testing the word out. She found it rather strange.

Just after Hermione finished explaining the duties of a prefect, Professor Dumbledore (who reminded the Shinigami of Yamamoto ever so slightly by appearance alone) stood up to speak.

"I welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… and I give a special welcome to our new transfer students. I know things are going to be tough for you all this year with the news of the Dark Lord's return so fresh in mind, but all we can do is hope for the best. On a brighter note, I'd like to introduce our new Defense against the Dark Arts professor, Orion Kuroba." The Headmaster declared and Orion stood up to a decent amount of applause. Everyone hoped he was better than Umbridge.

The Shinigami tuned out the rest of the speech and then it was time to go to the Gryffindor tower.

"Just follow us. We'll show you where it is." Harry said as Ron and Hermione went to help out with the first year students.

The Shinigami obediently followed the black haired boy and stared, slightly awed, by all the moving pictures. They didn't comment, however, out of fear that it would bring on suspicion.

They grimaced as they came face to face with the portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Justice." Harry said, grimacing at the slightly corny password. The Shinigami just rolled their eyes.

"Sounds like something Tousen came up with." Renji grumbled under his breath. Ichigo and Matsumoto snickered under their breath as they entered the Gryffindor Common Room.

Hitsugaya instantly didn't like it. It was way too warm for his taste. He appeared to be in a rather sour mood after that.

"The Boy's Dormitory is on this side and the Girl's Dormitory is on this side. Boys can't go into the Girl's Dormitory but girls can get into the Boy's Dormitory. Don't try to get into the Girl's Dormitory because you'll be in for a ride. Ron tried last year and got quite a shock." Harry explained, smiling as he remembered the situation.

"Well, I guess this is where we branch off for the night." Matsumoto said before suddenly glomping Hitsugaya, burying his face into her breasts. He tried to struggle, suffocating ever so slightly. Renji and Ichigo just looked amused for a bit before they took pity on the diminutive captain and pulled him away from Matsumoto. Hitsugaya took large gulps of air, quietly thanking his two fellow captains while giving a very amused Matsumoto a reprimanding glare. She just grinned at him and bounded off.

"Does this happen a lot?" Harry asked, blinking wide-eyed.

"Unfortunately." Hitsugaya murmured, crossing his arms.

"You're so lucky…" Ron said in a dreamy voice. Hermione shot Ron an indignant look, smacked him over the head and stalked off to the Girl's Dormitory. "What did I do wrong?" Ron asked dumbly. Harry shook his head.

"If you don't know, Ron, than I can't help you." The Boy-Who-Lived declared. "How about we head off now. Tomorrow's going to be a pretty big day."

The Shinigami nodded and they all headed off.

Three extra beds had been placed within the 6th year Dormitory for Hitsugaya, Renji and Ichigo to sleep in. They were glad that things had been arranged for them, because they were pretty worn out.

"Oyasumi." Ichigo yawned as they all lay in bed and they were all out like a light.

I hope putting all the Shinigami in the same House was alright, I just thought it would be best for them all to be there. Tell me what you think. Also… I'm trying to find a way I can have Umbridge have the misfortune of getting on the bad side of the Shinigami. Any suggestions? (I'm on a war path to see Umbridge bashed).

And about Aizen… it's time to think of how he'll make his grand entrance to make things hard for the Shinigami… particularly for Ichigo. You'll have that to look forward to.


	4. The Potions Master

I finally let Hitsugaya scare Malfoy (just a bit, he'll get real revenge later I suppose), but Hitsugaya angry is just so funny, no?

Now that the introductory (sorta) chapters are dealt with, the real fun parts will start to be put into play. I'm thinking of having Espada!Ichigo exist in this story but am having trouble deciding if I should make him naïve/child-like or cold and ruthless. Which sounds more fun? Tell me what you think.

This story will not be the same as the Half Blood Prince. I don't particularly like doing a story that is semi-bound to a script, a little too hard and time consuming for me. So there will be definite new things to look forward to.

Chapter FourThe Potions Master

The next day, the four Shinigami followed the Golden Trio down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"You don't look much like a morning person, Rangiku." Neville remarked to a tired looking Matsumoto, though he messed up as he tried to say her name.

"You can call me Ran, if you like. It's easier to say." Matsumoto said, rubbing her eyes as she tried to wake herself up. She normally never woke up this early. Hitsugaya was actually kind of pleased that she was up. Perhaps staying here at Hogwarts would help solve the issue of her chronic laziness. Then again… this was Matsumoto he was talking about.

"Okay, Ran it is." Ron said, not one to give up the chance to be able to call someone by a simpler name. The one person he wanted to have a shorter name for was Hitsugaya, but he didn't reckon the calm, collected and somewhat cold white haired boy would appreciate it much.

As they sat down to eat, Professor McGonagall came over and handed out their schedules. Ron groaned.

"Great, we've got Double Potions straight off. This is going to be a day from hell." He decided a little bitterly. "After that, we have Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures after that."

"Is Potions really all that bad a class?" Hitsugaya inquired, looking curious at their reaction to the news.

"It's the class from hell… and the professor is Satan himself." Ron said, sounding quite certain of that. He gestured to Snape, who didn't look all that pleasant looking to the Shinigami. He and Orion were in the middle of a glaring match. They obviously had not hit it off the night before. Snape didn't know it was Sirius in disguise, but that didn't matter at all. He still disliked him and Sirius felt the same way.

"He favors all the Slytherins and gives us Gryffindors a lot of grief, particularly Harry. He's hated Harry from the start." Ron declared, sounding as indignant as ever.

They headed over to the Dungeons and the Golden Trio, Neville, Ichigo and Renji began to shiver from the cold temperature. Hitsugaya was perfectly fine given his zanpakutou and Matsumoto was pretty used to cold temperatures as she spent quite a bit of time around her icy Captain.

"I swear this place gets more frigid with every year." Harry groaned, rubbing his fingers together.

"It looks like Potter and his loyal followers have finally decided to grace us with their presence." Malfoy's arrogant voice rang out. Harry glared, rather irritated.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said through gritted teeth. He really disliked the arrogant Slytherin.

Malfoy just smirked and turned to the new prey. He was still smarting about the cold shoulder and rough handling he'd dealt with on the train. His eyes fell on Matsumoto.

"One girl amongst three boys. You guys must have a lot of _fun_ with her, don't you?" he sneered. Before he could blink, an ice cold hand had shot forward, grabbed his collar and jerked him down to be at eye level with a pair of livid green eyes.

"_Apologize._" Hitsugaya ordered, his voice nothing but an icy hiss. He was _pissed_. His reiatsu was making the already frigid dungeons into an icy hell.

Malfoy wanted to retort but he could have sworn he'd seen a long, serpentine white dragon with red eyes glaring at him from behind Hitsugaya. He quickly swallowed what he was about to say. He didn't even know how the diminutive 6th year had moved so fast…

"What's going on here?" a sharp voice asked and everyone turned to see Snape standing there, looking disapproving.

Hitsugaya gave Snape a critical look before scoffing and letting go of Malfoy.

"The little brat just attacked me for no reason!" Malfoy exclaimed, sounding completely outraged. Ichigo and Renji instantly started protesting against Malfoy's claim but were silenced by Snape's glare.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for blatant aggression." Snape said, staring at Hitsugaya. "Another twenty points for your bizarre hair color. You better wash that dye out of it by our next class. Oh – and fifteen points from Gryffindor for your friends mouthing off."

Hitsugaya remained stoic, not showing any outrage at Snape's actions, other than to say.

"This is my natural hair color. There's no dye to wash out."

With that, he walked into the classroom and settled down.

Ichigo and Renji, on the other hand, glared murderously at the unfair professor as they were urged into the room by the Golden trio and Matsumoto.

"You're right… this guy's horrible." Ichigo grumbled over to Harry, who was at the table next to him with Ron.

"We told you. He's at an all time bad. Fifty-five points off just for a small scuffle out in the hallway. This incident wasn't even as bad as the one in fourth year. What's up his ass?" Ron muttered with a shake of his head.

"Today, we will be working on making Veritaserum. I expect you all to do well considering you are now preparing for your N.E.W.T.s." Snape said in his cool voice, eyes flitting from side to side.

The students started working silently and it was then that Ichigo felt as something strange… as if someone was trying to get into his head…

Zangetsu and Shiro reacted quite violently to that and whoever was trying to get in was forced out none-too-gently.

Through the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw Snape stagger away, looking completely pole-axed. He quickly came to the conclusion that it had been Snape that had tried to get in. His eyes narrowed as Snape met his eye. His brown eyes suddenly flickered gold, startling Snape and the Potions Master quickly backed off.

He wasn't sure if the eye changing thing had been real or not, but Snape could only come to one conclusion: Ichigo Kurosaki was far from a normal wizard. That which had repelled him from Ichigo's mind wasn't Occlumency. It had seemed… almost _alive_.

'_What are you and your friends hiding?_' Snape wondered with narrowed eyes, suspicion beginning to grow.

At the end of class, only Hermione and Hitsugaya had properly made the Veritaserum, much to Snape's displeasure.

"What a pitiful attempt at a potion, it's a total waste." He said derisively to Harry, before making it disappear with his wand. "Everyone else bottle up your potions and put it on my desk. I want you all to right a three-scroll essay about the use of Veritaserum in the Wizarding World."

Harry glowered at Snape as everyone did as they were told before filing out of the Dungeons.

"What a git. He didn't even let you put what you had into a vial." Ron said. "That's just like him."

"Hey… Is there any kind of magical means of getting into someone's mind?" Ichigo questioned, his normal scowl deepening.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"Yeah, there is. It's called Legilimancy. Snape's really adept at it." Harry explained. "Did he get into your mind, Ichigo?"

"He tried." Ichigo admitted. "But for some reason, he just backed off. All I remember is having a big headache and then seeing him stagger when the headache stopped." So he lied a bit, not like he could tell them about his way of forcing people out of his mind (not that it really happened often).

"I wonder why he tried to get into your mind?" Hermione wondered.

"Most likely to try to find some dirt on him to use against him. He did that with Harry and I all the time." Ron said, sounding dismissive.

Hermione didn't seem convinced but let it drop.

"Is there any way of counteracting this… Legilimancy?" Hitsugaya asked. None of the Shinigami were too worried about people invading their minds because of their zanpakutou, but it never hurt to be careful. Matsumoto would be most vulnerable of them all, not being a Captain class.

"There is. It's called Occulomency and it's _really_ hard. You have to focus your mind really hard to build a sort of shield." Harry said. "You really need to know how to control your emotions."

"Well that means you can't do it, Strawberry." Renji grinned teasingly. Ichigo glared indignantly.

"Shut up! You wouldn't be able to do it either, Pineapple!" Ichigo yelled, looking annoyed. "And don't call me Strawberry. That's not what my name means!"

"Whatever you say, Strawberry." Renji teased, a goofy smile on his face. Ichigo looked ready to murder Renji right there but the way the temperature decreased around them showed them that Hitsugaya was not even the slightest bit amused at their behavior.

"Do they always act like this?" Hermione asked, looking bemused.

"Unfortunately." Hitsugaya grumbled, in a foul mood as they arrived at the Great Hall for lunch.

The Golden trio and Neville stopped in their place as they saw a most unwelcome presence standing in the middle of the Great Hall.

"What is _she_ doing here?!" Ron yelled out, for everyone to hear, staring at a smug looking Delores Umbridge standing there.

Hope you like the chapter. I've got a lot of plans for this story, the ideas are already forming .

Your input is greatly appreciated and if there is anything you'd like to see in this fic or anything you think could make it better, feel free to tell. This is like my current pet project.


	5. Unfortunate Circumstances

Here's another chapter and I hope I can do Umbridge's despicable personality well enough. Well… there'll be Umbridge bashing at least, so that's all that matters.

I'm not going to make things easy for the Shinigami but the way they'll deal with the issues should be fun. I'm still deciding on the Espada!Ichigo personality and thinking of who to pair him up with…

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter.

Chapter Five Unfortunate Circumstances

"Clearly your students' manners are still severely lacking, Albus." Umbridge simpered, sneering at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

"Who's that?" Ichigo asked, looking at the pudgy woman with a bad sense in fashion.

"Dolores Umbridge. Our old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, former High Inquisitor and official Ministry dog." Harry bit out under his breath so only they could hear. "We'll give you full details later."

"Mr. Weasley was just expressing his surprise, Dolores." Albus said, trying to sound impartial though Harry could pick a hint of annoyance in his eyes directed at the annoying Ministry witch.

Umbridge's smile turned into a mere thin line before her eyes fell on the Shinigami and they went on guard instantly.

"I'm here because our new Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, wishes to make sure that our newest _guests_ can be trusted during such a… hard time for us all. So I've been sent here to supervise for their stay."

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. Her presence was definitely a threat to their plans it seemed. They'd have to be careful around her. Just hearing her voice made his skin crawl.

"You can't possibly be allowing this, Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed, wide-eyed. "After all she did last year?"

"The Ministry has ordered her presence here, Mr. Potter, there's not much we can do without making a blatant act of defiance against them." Professor Dumbledore said, looking solemn. Umbridge just looked all the more smug.

"She's irritating me already." Ichigo grumbled. Her smug and simpering nature just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Let's not make more of a scene than we already did. We'll only make things worse." Hermione said as the group headed off to the Gryffindor table, trying to ignore Umbridge's beady eyes on them.

Umbridge did her little annoying '_hem hem_' cough to catch everyone's attention.

"Due to the circumstances, our new Minister thinks it would be best to incorporate a _new_ class into all of your schedules, as a mandatory course, to give you a better understanding of where our new students come from." She said and many of the students groaned. They didn't like the idea of a new class. "I will be handing out your new schedules which have included the new Eastern Magic course." She said and with a flick of her wand the schedules floated to their respective owners.

"Oh great… we have it today after Care of Magical Creatures!" Ron groaned, hanging his head. "With the Slytherins no less!"

"The Ministry is sure making a big deal out of you guys being here." Hermione said, sounding suspicious. "I think it's just an excuse to make Umbridge a spy on Hogwarts again."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Ginny muttered, crossing her arms.

"We'll have to see just how much power she'll try to exert on us again…" Neville groaned. This was going to another year of hell.

They headed to Transfiguration in a decidedly worse mood than before, noting that Umbridge was making her way there herself. This only proved that she was going to keep a close eye on the Shinigami.

Professor McGonagall proved to be quite a strict teacher, but as the Golden trio informed the Shinigami, she was good when it came to keeping Umbridge in check, thus they had a relatively peaceful period of trying to make a needle vanish.

But when it came to being at Care of Magical Creatures, Umbridge did not hesitate to voice her derogatory opinion about Hagrid's half-giant status and the dangers he posed as a teacher.

"And what is so wrong about being a half-human?" Ichigo asked crossly. He, more than anyone else, knew what it felt like being half-one thing and half-another. What made things worse for him though was he wasn't exactly sure what the halves were.

Umbridge was about to make another comment when she could have sworn she saw a strange bone white mask with red streaks superimpose itself onto Ichigo's face. Feeling a flash of fear, she shut her mouth and stopped making comments.

"As we didn't really get to go over thestrals properly last year, I thought I'd do a refresher course on it." Hagrid said, this time not going through the nervous breakdown he'd almost gone through the year before when Umbridge had been assessing his worth as a teacher.

Ichigo, Renji, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto looked particularly interested when the thestrals were led over. They (all except Ichigo who sucked at sensing things) were able to clearly feel the aura of death that surrounded the horses.

Their suspicions were confirmed when Hermione declared that only those who'd seen someone die could see them.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville looked particularly haunted by the fact that it took seeing someone die to see the thestrals. The year before, Ron and Hermione hadn't been able to see them, but now they could… considering what had happened in the Department of Mysteries.

Umbridge still couldn't see them and looked quite disapproving about the topic of choice, but she couldn't do anything about it; at least not yet. The Ministry was still working on making her High Inquisitor again.

The thestrals, upon setting sights on the Shinigami, did something that those who could see it were quite surprised to see. They came over and then bowed down, respectfully.

"Well, this is new." Hagrid said gruffly, though he looked positively fascinated. "They seem ta like yeh."

"You don't say." Renji said, seeming bewildered.

Finally, it was time for the Eastern Magic course.

"Watch it be taught by some weird Ministry official…" Ron grumbled, not looking happy at all.

"It wouldn't be surprising." Hermione decided, with a thoughtful look on her face.

As they were entering the room, the Shinigami stopped in their place.

Their eyes lit up with outrage, wanting to cry out but they were barely able to hold it in, knowing they had a cover to protect.

There standing in front of them was none other than Aizen Sousuke, wearing wizards robes and a kind smile that they knew was false. He looked like he did when he had deceived all of Soul Society into believing he was a benevolent captain.

"Welcome to Sixth year Eastern Magic. Please take your seats so we can start class." Aizen said amiably and everyone headed to their seats. Only the Shinigami were suspicious of him, even the Golden trio and Neville seemed won over by his amiable personality.

As class went on, no one noticed how Ichigo's brown eyes had a glassy quality to them, as if he'd been entranced… or the smug smirk on Aizen's face as he lectured to them about different aspects of Eastern magic and how it compared to Western magic.

Time to think up what's going to happen between Ichigo and Aizen… anything you'd like to see? Other than Ichigo beating his ass, because well… can't have that happen too early in the fic. He could try though. shrugs I'll figure something out. Hope you liked the chapter.


	6. Aizen

Special thanks to YunaBlaze for giving me an idea for what could be taught in Eastern Magic. I'd still been muddling over that… so thank you !

And don't worry, Aizen will get his ass kicked eventually. He first has to cause some havoc.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter.

Chapter SixAizen

"You look well, Ichigo-kun." Aizen said to the 5th Division Captain (and incidently, his successor). "And don't worry, you can talk freely. Kyoka Suigetsu is taking care of the class at the moment."

Now without the need to worry about blowing his cover, Ichigo stood up and glared at Aizen.

"What the hell are you doing here, Aizen?! And don't talk to me so damn familiarly!" he yelled, eyes blazing. Aizen noticed, with interest, that his sclera was gradually turning black, meaning his Hollow was showing his presence.

"Isn't it obvious, Ichigo-kun?" Aizen asked, purposely disregarding Ichigo's demand to stop referring to him so familiarly. "When three of my biggest enemies are in one place… There's bound to be something interesting going on, right?"

"It was stupid of you to come. You just signed your own death sentence!" Ichigo exclaimed, leaving his body and lunging at Aizen. But Aizen was too much for him, pinning him against the wall with his hands pinned above his head and his reiatsu pressing down on Ichigo, making him paralyzed to his spot.

"I don't think so, Ichigo-kun. I'm still more powerful than all four of you… You couldn't possibly defeat me without backup. And if you even try to report me to the Gotei 13, a little slip of information about you being a Vizard would come out into the open." Aizen promised and grew satisfied with the slight look of fear in Ichigo's eyes. His status as a Vizard was his biggest sore spot – outside of his friends being hurt, but that threat was already assumed when it came to Aizen.

"What do you want, Aizen?" Ichigo asked, saying Aizen's name with clear disdain.

"That's for me to know and you to figure out. Here's the deal, Ichigo-kun, you do what you were assigned to do and I'll do what I planned to do. I won't mess with yours and you won't get in my way. If you and your friends don't comply with these guidelines… these innocent students will be the ones to pay the price, got it?" Aizen said. Ichigo gritted his teeth before nodding. He couldn't let innocent people get endangered. "Very good."

Aizen released Ichigo and gestured for him to return to his body as he was going to dispel the illusion. Ichigo did so reluctantly and settled back in his seat, upset.

"Something wrong, Ichigo?" Ron asked, noticing his harried look.

"Yes, Mr. Kurosaki, is something wrong?" Aizen asked condescendingly. Ichigo had to bite back his rage as he schooled his expression.

"No… Nothing's wrong, _sir_." He said through gritted teeth, his hands balled into fists in his lap. Aizen smirked.

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind coming up here for a demonstration of one of the Kidou spells." Aizen said, sounding malicious to Ichigo's ears, but perfectly amenable to everyone else. Ichigo glared.

"…Sure." He said reluctantly, standing up and coming to the front of the class.

Aizen pointed his palm at Ichigo and muttered out the incantation.

"Bakudo Ichi: Sai." He said calmly and Ichigo suddenly felt his arms twist behind him and he fell to his knees with his face slamming painfully into the floor.

The Slytherins guffawed at the sight of Ichigo in such a humiliating state while the Gryffindors could only cringe in sympathy.

"This is the first Way of Binding, Restraint. It binds the arms of the opponent behind their back and renders them completely motionless." Aizen said with a smile. "It's not recommended to try and break the binding either… Because if you do, your very soul may be ripped apart. Well… that actually depends on the strength of the magic behind the spell. The more powerful you are, the more dangerous it is for your opponent to try and free themselves without you releasing the spell."

The students all looked at each other in apprehension, yet they seemed interested nevertheless.

"For the rest of the class, I'd like you all to attempt doing the spell." Aizen declared and they split into pairs: Harry versus Ron, Hermione versus Neville, Matsumoto versus Renji and Hitsugaya versus Malfoy. Ichigo had the misfortune of still being bound by Aizen, who didn't seem in a hurry at all to free him of the spell.

Ichigo tried his hardest to break the bindings like he had with Rukia's, but this one was a whole lot more powerful. He spent the entire period cursing Aizen out, who just continued looking at him with malicious glee.

By the class, only Hitsugaya, Renji, Matsumoto and Hermione had succeeded in casting the spell (though it was obvious that Hitsugaya, Renji and Matsumoto could do it). Renji did look surprised that his worked properly though, considering just how much he sucked at Kidou.

Malfoy was glaring at Hitsugaya, jealousy clear in his eyes.

The shrimp hadn't even _tried_ when he'd said the incantation and yet he succeeded… like it was second nature! It just wasn't fair!

"You cheated somehow!" he said, sounding very much like a sore loser. Hitsugaya gave him a bored look.

"There's no way you can cheat with Kidou." He said dryly. "I come from the East, therefore it's no surprise I'd be good with Eastern magic."

"He's got you there, Malfoy. All the transfer students should have a knack for it." Hermione said, trying to be a mediator.

"Stay out of this, Mudblood!" Malfoy yelled derisively and was suddenly hexed by Harry and Ron, both who looked completely and utterly livid.

"Don't you dare call Hermione such a foul name!" Ron yelled angrily.

The Shinigami looked confused. The name seemed rude, but what did it mean? Why was it so offensive?

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, I'm going to have to ask you to put your wands away. Aggression in the classroom will not be tolerated." Aizen said sternly. "You both will have detentions tonight for this… as will Mr. Malfoy for referring to your friend in such a derogatory manner." Malfoy, who had at first looked pleased because Harry and Ron were getting in trouble, scowled.

Harry and Ron just continued to frown as they obeyed the teacher. At least Malfoy was getting what he deserved.

As everyone filed out, they completely forgot that Ichigo was still bound, more focused on what had just happened between Ron, Harry and Malfoy. Soon only Aizen and Ichigo were left behind.

"You won't succeed with whatever you're planning!" Ichigo vowed, as he continued trying to fight the binds with little success. Aizen just smirked.

"Oh, but I will… And you'll be helping me, Ichigo-kun, whether you like it or not." Aizen said and Ichigo's eyes widened.

"I would never help you!" Ichigo exclaimed indignantly. Aizen's smirk was disconcerting.

"As I said, you have no choice in the matter." He said. "You belong to me… Mind, body, and soul. You have no way of escaping your role."

Ichigo's eyes showed outrage, defiance, and the slightest trace of fear at what Aizen said as the ex-Shinigami finally released Ichigo from his binds.

"Good day, Mr. Kurosaki." Aizen said, dismissing him. Ichigo gave Aizen one last glare and headed off to the Great Hall, where he knew everyone else was headed.

"Damn fucking bastard… Thinking he can control me…" Ichigo was muttering under his breath the entire time. He was pretty sore, especially his arms, from being trapped in the Kidou spell that time, but he ignored it due to his own range.

_I still think you should have let me run a cero through his heart, than we'd be done with him for good._ Shiro said, not very pleased with the situation either.

'_He's the new Hogwarts teacher. It would look pretty suspicious if he was killed… especially since I was the last person seen with him. If we're going to end him, it will have to be away from this school._' Ichigo sighed. '_This mission has too much depending on it._'

He could feel Shiro sulking in the corner of his mind.

_Fine… but at least promise that I'll get a chance to kick his ass whenever you finally decide it's time to._ Shiro said. _He had no right to call you his. We belong to no one._

'_It's a deal._' Ichigo promised, agreeing with Shiro's sentiment.

Hitsugaya, Renji and Matsumoto gave him curious looks as he got to the table and sat down.

"_So, what happened, did that bastard talk to you_?" Renji asked in Japanese, trying to find out as much information as he could.

"_Yeah… he told us that we better stay out of his way or the students would be the one to pay the price. He's using the population of Hogwarts itself as hostages_." Ichigo said darkly. The other Shinigami didn't look pleased at all.

"_That will make dealing with him harder than before. We'll have to make a plan for it._" Hitsugaya said, crossing his arms.

"What's with the serious faces? Did you not like your classes?" Ginny asked as the Golden trio, Neville and Ginny noticed the frowns on the transfer students' faces.

"It's not that." Ichigo lied. "It's that… We don't understand what happened with the big scene where Harry and Ron got mad at Malfoy for calling Hermione a… Mudblood? What is that anyways?"

The five Gryffindors looked at each other.

"It's a very derogatory name for a Muggleborn witch or wizard. It means dirty blood." Ginny said with clear distaste. "Some pureblooded families like Malfoy over there believe that Muggleborns don't deserve to learn magic. There's heavy prejudice on that front."

"Ah." Hitsugaya said as realization dawned on them. It looked like the Wizarding World had as much prejudice surrounding it as Soul Society did, perhaps to even a larger degree.

"I still can't believe you two have detentions already, on the first day of school." Hermione said to Harry and Ron, seeming quite disapproving, though it seemed softened somehow that it had occurred because they were defending her.

"It's not the first time we've had detention, 'Mione." Harry said. "It shouldn't be too bad. Professor Aizen doesn't seem to be too horrible a person."

The Shinigami looked at each other cynically.

'_You have no idea_.' They all thought.

I hope this chapter was to your liking. I finally got Shiro to say a few things and Ichigo's bound to get pulled into some pretty bad situations. Next chapter I might just have Ichigo come face to face with a boggart and we all know just how bad that'll go.


	7. Worst Fears

Here's the seventh chapter in which Ichigo comes face to face with a boggart. My assumption of what he'd see may be a little over the top for what a boggart is capable of (like… can they talk?) but I thought this would have the biggest impact on him. Hope it seems reasonable enough ;.

**2 stupid**: from what I've heard, Aizen is pretty powerful. In one episode he'd said the Hougyoku needed to feed off someone with more power than 2 captains (or something like that). All I can say is he's pretty damn intimidating in my view.

**YunaBlaze**: there will definitely be Espada in this one. Grimmjaw and Ulquiorra for sure.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Chapter Seven Worst Fears

Ichigo followed Harry and Ron as they headed for detention with Aizen, in Shinigami form. The Shinigami had decided that it wasn't safe for the two young wizards to be around Aizen by themselves, particularly Harry, who was such an important person in the Wizarding World.

Inwardly, Ichigo wasn't pleased with having to be the one to do this. He was rather antsy about being near Aizen again. Not so soon anyways after what Aizen had told him. He hadn't told them about Aizen saying he had a role in his plans. He wanted to make sense of it first and he knew telling the other Shinigami would only make things more hectic. It had been Orion's worry and near panic for Harry's safety at the news that he was going near a traitorous Shinigami that had made Ichigo concede to go keep a look out.

He'd have to watch from a distance, even in Shinigami form, however, thanks to Aizen, but it was better than nothing.

He watched as Aizen offered them tea and started trying to get them to sort out their differences with Malfoy (with little success) when he heard a strange noise in a nearby classroom.

Curiosity got the better of Ichigo and he headed off to investigate. He saw a cupboard in the room moving, as if something was trying to get out with little luck.

Moving slowly, one hand around Zangetsu's hilt, Ichigo opened the cupboard.

The moment he did, he regretted it at the sight he saw.

His mother was staring at him with gaunt eyes, looking like she did that fateful night he'd woke up with her covering his tiny 9-year old body with her own with a bloodied back.

"You didn't save me… Ichigo… you didn't protect me. You didn't protect us all." She intoned, stepping towards him. Memories of that night hit Ichigo hard and his pupils dilated from the strong wave of emotions hit him.

"N-no… I'm sorry, Kaa-san…" he stuttered, backing up ever so slightly. Just seeing her and hearing her accusations was leaving him emotionally weak.

Suddenly, his mom changed into a bloody Orihime, reminiscent of the time she'd been beaten by Yammi.

"I thought you promised to protect me, Kurosaki-kun… You lied!" she exclaimed hatefully.

Orihime turned into Chad, looking wounded from his fight with Yammi.

"I thought you promised to watch my back, Ichigo… I guess this promise wasn't worth keeping to you, was it?" the normally quiet half-Mexican giant said.

Chad turned into Ishida, wounded from his fight with Szayel, giving Ichigo a look of disgust.

"So much for being the 'one who protects', Kurosaki… You're not worthy of your name after all." The Quincy said with a tone of dismissal.

Then came Rukia appeared dressed in that white kimono she had worn when they had intended to execute her. She looked sad and disappointed.

"I thought you could have saved us all, Ichigo. So much for being our 'protector.'" She said.

Then Rukia turned into Isshin, Karin and Yuzu, all who were looking at him hatefully.

"It's because of you that she's dead. It's all your fault!" they screamed together.

Ichigo had had enough, covering his ears and trying to deny the accusations of his friends and families, lost to the moment.

His mind was reeling as he sank to his knees weakly. He was beginning to believe what the boggart was shouting at him.

"_Murderer…_"

"_Abomination…_"

"_You failed us all!_"

Suddenly, he felt a pair of whit clad arms wrap around him and pull him close.

_Don't listen to 'em, King! It's not your real friends. It's a fuckin' illusion! It's not true!_ Shiro screamed, trying to make Ichigo stop freaking out like he was.

_**Come to your senses, Ichigo! Your friends are alive and well and your mother's death isn't your fault. No one blames you for it!**_ Zangetsu called out.

The Hollow and Zanpakutou kept working at it until they drowned out the insults and accusations and Ichigo _finally_ began to listen.

"An illusion? It's fake?" he murmured as he stared at the constantly morphing boggart. His eyes turned gold as the black sclera began to gradually overcome the white. He was _pissed_. "All this… to mess with my mind…"

With a scream of pure anger, his reiatsu poured out and the boggart didn't even stand a chance.

Once Ichigo got a good hold of his emotions again (with Zangetsu's help, since Shiro wasn't exactly the master of holding back), he stared at the pile of dust where the boggart had been.

"What was that?" he wondered, feeling drained.

_**If you remember from your summer studies, you'd remember that was a boggart, a creature that lives in dark areas and takes the form of whatever you fear the most.**_ Zangetsu said patiently, not exactly faulting Ichigo for forgetting that which he had studied during the summer. Ichigo was not exactly in tip mental shape at the moment…

Ichigo scowled, albeit a little weakly due to his mental fatigue.

"Damn creatures… you'd think they'd have rid the castle of these things…" he murmured, blinking sleepily.

_Mull over this later, King, ya look like you're ready to fall flat on your face._ Shiro said, picking up the tired Shinigami and heading for the Gryffindor Common Room.

"But what about the detention…" Ichigo protested.

_You can find out what happened tomorrow._ Shiro said dismissively.

After settling Ichigo back into his bed, Shiro shut the curtains.

_Sleep, King. I'll keep the nightmares at bay._ the Hollow promised and Ichigo was soothed into sleep, free of the nightmares that would have come for sure if it hadn't been for Shiro and Zangetsu.

Aizen smirked to himself as he watched the three boys write lines about how they shouldn't be so aggressive. He'd been the one who'd set up Ichigo's encounter with the boggart and through it had figured out some of Ichigo's greatest vulnerabilities. The knowledge would prove useful to him in the future. And on another note, he was beginning to think these three boys were ideal choices for his plans on rebuilding his Hollow/Arrancar army… they definitely had potential with the darkness kept hidden in their heart, prominent most in Mr. Malfoy.

'_Soon… I will have reformed my plan to bring Soul Society down to its knees…_' he thought.


	8. Dueling and a Dream

Here's another chapter. I've been going blind because now I have to sort all my future plans and see what goes next. Haven't sequenced them yet but will try to make things go in a proper order.

I'm sorry if my way of assumption of Ichigo's worst fear was a little off. I just worked with what I thought would be effective. The dream sequence in this chapter may be a little shaky. I'm still trying to fully grasp Voldemort's creepiness and the Vizard's role in all of this, so bear with me. I'll get better with it. Hope this chapter is okay.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Chapter EightDueling and a Dream

When Ichigo woke up the next morning, he looked back on what had happened the night before. It really troubled him but now that he was thinking rationally, he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. He'd acted so… not like him… after that. He was thankful that only Shiro and Zangetsu had been witness to his moment of weakness. It hadn't exactly been the worst thing he could have seen, but as a whole, it took its toll, filling his head with doubts of his strength and making him worry that he would one day really fail his friends and they would all die. He'd already failed to protect his mother… he wouldn't fail anyone else either.

"You alright, Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya queried, noticing that Ichigo seemed rather broody.

"I'm alright… I've just got some things on my mind." Ichigo said with a dismissive wave. Hitsugaya and Renji didn't look very convinced but they gave Ichigo his privacy. They knew just how defensive he could get if they pried too much.

"We have double Defense against the Dark Arts, Charms and History of Magic today." Renji said, looking at the schedule.

"It shouldn't be so bad." Ron said. "None of the teachers are that bad. At least this year, we're not taking Divination."

"So, how did detention go?" Matsumoto asked curiously.

"It wasn't so bad." Harry admitted. "All he made us do was write some lines about not being aggressive towards other students."

"At least he wasn't like Umbridge who made Harry use a Blood Quill during their detentions together last year." Ron remarked.

"What's a Blood Quill?" Hitsugaya asked with a frown.

"It's a dark item which uses your blood as ink and carves what you're writing into your hand." Harry said, showing them the 'I must not tell lies' scar. The Shinigami's faces scrunched up in disgust.

"What a bitch." Ichigo remarked, shooting a scowl in Umbridge's direction who had been giving them a condescending look from the moment they had entered the Great Hall. He was grateful for the distraction from his own depressing thoughts. He ignored the disapproving look he got from Hermione for the curse (even if she was in agreement about Umbridge).

"Let's stop talking about the she-demon, shall we?" Ginny proposed and everyone agreed.

"Defense against the Dark Arts should be interesting." Harry mused. "Professor Kuroba seems like a nice guy." Not to mention that he seemed oddly familiar to boot.

"Well, let's head off then, shall we?" Matsumoto said brightly and the group headed off.

When they were all in class, Orion began to speak.

"Given the situation with the Dark Lord, I figured we could do a section on dueling. I'm sure many of you would feel it necessary to learn how to use your magic in a practical situation like this." He said. "I'm sure many of you have at least got a taste of a real duel, given last year's circumstances, so you should have at least know something about it, right?"

Most of the class nodded, seeming to be fascinated at what Orion had in mind.

"Great, so what I was thinking was that we'd see just where you stand in ability today. So pair up and I'll see how well you hold out against each other in a duel." Orion said.

They all looked pretty excited about that and they split into pairs. The Shinigami were a bit curious about the entire thing because they'd never dueled using wizard spells before. Ichigo, for one, didn't like the idea of being restricted to just that, but what could he do?

Harry went against Ron, Hermione against Neville, Ichigo against Renji, and Hitsugaya had planned to pair with Matsumoto, but Malfoy had intercepted him.

"I want retribution for yesterday." The arrogant pure blood said and Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Have it your way." He said as he watched Matsumoto pair with an ugly Slytherin girl named Millicent Bulstrode.

The dueling commenced and the only Shinigami that seemed to be effortless in his spell casting was Hitsugaya, but that was to be expected. Thus, his and Malfoy's duel ended up catching attention and everyone stopped dueling to watch them.

The Gryffindors settled on one side and the Slytherins on the other, cheering on their particular representative. Orion didn't even seem to mind that everyone had gotten distracted as Hitsugaya and Malfoy were giving a pretty good example of what dueling was all about.

Malfoy was getting frustrated, however, with Hitsugaya's ability to counter everything he shot at him. He wanted to get back at the foreigner…

"_Serpensortia!_" he yelled, summoning a large snake which instantly lunged for Hitsugaya. Everyone screamed in fright and Harry looked ready to start using Parseltongue to fend the snake away from Hitsugaya… but the snake never made it towards the young Captain.

It froze in mid air and as it fell to the floor, it smashed into a bunch of tiny little pieces.

Everyone gaped while Ichigo, Renji and Matsumoto just sweatdropped. Hitsugaya's icy reiatsu had done the snake in.

"How'd you do that?" Malfoy exclaimed. "You didn't even say an incantation."

"I believe he used a nonverbal spell, Mr. Malfoy. We will be learning about that during the course of this year. 15 points to Gryffindor for excellent dueling skills." Orion said, covering for Hitsugaya's instinctive use of his Shinigami abilities.

"That was really cool!" Ron said after they left class. "You really showed Malfoy up… Again!" Hitsugaya just smirked slightly and shrugged.

"I don't know why, but I feel as if Professor Kuroba's familiar." Harry said, looking thoughtful. He'd noticed Orion giving him an almost remorseful look at times too…

"Maybe you knew someone like him?" Renji suggested.

"Could be…" Harry murmured with a furrowed brow.

That night, Harry had strange dream.

/_There were two strange blonde foreigners standing before Voldemort, confident smirks on their faces. They held no fear whatsoever for the Dark Lord._

_"Who are you?" Voldemort asked coldly, red eyes boring into them._

_"Shinji Hirako and Hiyori Sarugaki." The boy with the droopy eyes said, his Japanese accent clear as he spoke._

_"And why are you here?" Voldemort asked, wand pointed at them threateningly. Their demeanor still didn't change, much to his annoyance._

_"We wish to join your forces. An alliance would prove to be beneficial for both of us." Shinji said, smirk still on his face._

_Voldemort tried to look into their minds and the two Vizards were able to trick him into believing that they were true to their word._

_Voldemort smirked._

_"Do tell more about these benefits…" Voldemort hissed and Shinji's smirk grew wider._/

"Oi, Harry, wake up! If you don't wake up now, you'll miss breakfast!" Ron exclaimed, shaking him.

Harry woke up groggily, silently cursing Ron for waking him up. He could have found out more about those two strange foreigners…

'_What's going on? Whatever it is… it can't be good._' Harry thought, his scar prickling. Voldemort was _really_ happy.


	9. Quidditch

I admit, the last chapter was rather weak with the dream sequence. In the beginning, the dream was to have Harry see Voldemort plotting about something that would involve one of the Shinigami, but decided to wait on that a bit. So I made him see the two Vizards.

And Shinji and Hiyori are most definitely not on Voldemort's side, they're just pretending. Why would they help him for real anyways? They won't be major characters in the entire story, I just figured Ichigo may need some help from the Vizard with Aizen and Voldemort to contend with. Particularly when Aizen implements his plans for Ichigo. If it's really favored, then I may pair them up. It all depends.

**Chm01**: I'm deciding on who to pair Ichigo up with but I'm sorry to say it won't be Orihime. I kind of like Orihime with Ishida.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Chapter NineQuidditch

The week went quickly after that, though Ichigo found himself the poor victim of Aizen's demonstrations a lot. It just made Ichigo hate the man all the more.

He was glad when it was the weekend, as was everybody else.

"No more classes for the while. I'm glad we're getting a small break." Matsumoto huffed. "I'm beginning to think this is worse than paperwork."

"You don't _do_ the paperwork you're supposed to do." Hitsugaya said with a roll of his eyes. Matsumoto pouted at Hitsugaya before pulling him to her and smothering him with her breasts.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say, _Taichou_." She sang, enjoying holding her struggling Captain against her bosom. He was so fun to agitate.

After sniggering at Hitsugaya's situation for a small bit, Ichigo and Renji took pity on the boy.

"Let him go, Matsumoto, or you'll soon have no Captain to smother at all." Ichigo said, smirking.

Matsumoto acquiesced and a red-faced Hitsugaya resurfaced, gulping down as much air as he could. He gave Matsumoto a half-hearted resentful look. She just gave him a bright smile.

"Hey, what are you guys up to?" Harry asked as he and Ron headed for the Quidditch Pitch.

"Nothing much, what about you?" Renji asked, looking curious.

"Today's the day we have Quidditch tryouts." Harry said before looking like he'd gotten an idea. "Do any of you want to try out?"

The four Shinigami looked at each other. The sport _did_ sound interesting…

"Why not?" Hitsugaya drawled, surprising all of them. "It should be an enlightening experience."

Harry and Ron both grinned.

"Great." They said. "Come on then."

They headed off to the Quidditch Pitch and Harry asked them which positions they'd like to try out for. There was a couple Chaser positions open and both Beather positions were open as well."

"Beater." Ichigo and Renji said together. It seemed to be the most interesting of the positions to them.

"I'll try out to be a Chaser." Hitsugaya said after a moment.

"I'm not going to try out." Matsumoto said. "But I'll cheer you all on."

Matsumoto headed for the sidelines as the other three Shinigami joined the group of people trying out for Quidditch.

"We've never got on brooms before." Ichigo mused. "This is going to be rather amusing… watch us completely botch this up."

"It really doesn't matter if we make it or not." Renji mused "I'm just wanting to see what it's like."

Hitsugaya remained silent. He was mostly doing it out of curiosity as well. It really didn't matter at all.

Chasers were tried out first and Hitsugaya borrowed a school broom for when it was his turn.

Hitsugaya took to the air and took a small bit of time to get used to the broom before catching the Quaffle and doing as instructed.

He managed to get four out of the five Quaffles into the goal before going down.

"Not bad." Ron said, seeming pleased. Hitsugaya had done better than a lot of the other people who had tried out. Then again, Hitsugaya was pretty good at sports as a whole.

"You were amazing out there, Taichou!" Matsumoto said, as bubbly as ever. She glomped him again, much to the amusement of the Shinigami and the bewilderment of everybody else.

"Lucky Hitsugaya…" Ron murmured and Harry shook his head.

The Beaters' tryouts started and it took Ichigo and Renji a little longer to get accustomed to the brooms but once they did, they started enjoying it. They were trying out together and ended up having more fun hitting the Bludger towards each other for fun. But they're ability to send the Bludger around well was clearly seen.

"The list for those who made it will be on the bulletin board soon. Keep an eye out for it." Harry told everyone.

"You guys aren't bad for this being the first time you've been on brooms." Ron mused. "'Specially Hitsugaya."

The Shinigami shrugged.

"It was pretty fun." Ichigo admitted. He suddenly felt a familiar flare of reiatsu nearby. He turned and saw someone with an all too familiar Hollow mask covering her face, beckoning for him from the Forbidden Forest. "Could you… excuse me for a moment?"

The others watched in confusion as Ichigo made his way in the opposite direction, towards the forest.

"I wonder what's up with him." Harry said with a small frown before they headed back to the castle.

Ichigo frowned as he came face to face with Shinji and Hiyori.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked with a frown.

"The same as you, interfering with the so-called Dark Lord's plans." Hiyori said, crossing his arms. "Those severed pieces of his soul have the potential of becoming rather dangerous Hollows. As much as we hate helping the Shinigami, letting a _human_ do something so stupid is just not our style. We don't need anymore insane Hollows, particularly ones with the possibility of becoming Arrancar."

"But how are you planning on doing that?" Ichigo asked with a frown.

"We've already started." Shinji said. "We're pretending to be amongst his loyal… _Death Eaters_." He said the last bit mockingly. The name was rather pathetic.

"That's dangerous, though!" Ichigo protested. "If he finds out that you're not as loyal as you seem…"

"Then we'll kick his ass and book it out of there." Hiyori said, sounding impatient. "That snake-faced bastard doesn't have anything on us."

"We wanted to inform you of that before we may come face to face on the battlefield, otherwise, all of our covers may have gotten blown sky high." Shinji said. "Know that we most likely will have to fight each other if we cross paths… and I won't take it easy."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Ichigo responded flatly. "The same goes for you."

Shinji and Hiyori nodded before they headed off using shunpo. Ichigo then headed back to the school. Things were going to get a whole lot crazier now…

When he returned to the school, he found all of the students in an uproar.

"What's going on?" he asked, frowning in confusion.

"It's Umbridge, she took back her position as High Inquisitor." Ginny said, sounding heavily displeased. "If things weren't already screwed up as they were!"


	10. Ichigo's Mistake

Here's another chapter. From now on, I think things are going to be a hell of a lot more interesting.

Chapter TenIchigo's Mistake

Umbridge asserted her authority quicker than she had the year before, but thankfully, Dumbledore still held a good amount of power over her decisions.

"The nerve of that hag trying to take control again! She's ruining everything!" Orion raged as the Shinigami met up with him in his office. They made sure there was a Silencing Charm so that no one could overhear.

"Yamamoto-sou-taichou will need to be informed of Aizen and the Ministry of Magic being stupid. Taking action will be difficult. We will need people who can work outside Hogwarts." Renji pondered.

Ichigo thought of the two Vizard working as double agents but he knew he couldn't tell anyone about that.

"But they can't let more Shinigami come because Seireitei is still being rebuilt." Hitsugaya said with a frown.

"How about Inoue, Ishida, Chad and Rukia?" Ichigo suggested. "I'm sure they can help."

"We'll contact them about it, then." Matsumoto decided.

"If the agree, plant them in Hogsmeade. It may be the best place." Orion suggested. "We'll also need to find out how to get in with the Order."

"That is the organization Professor Dumbledore set up to fight against Voldemort, is it not?" Hitsugaya inquired. "It may come in handy to know what sort of plans they have for fighting Voldemort."

"We could get Professor Dumbledore in on everything." Ichigo suggested. "It would be better than working as sporadically as we have. We still haven't got anywhere in working against Voldemort, other than protect Harry."

"Not yet." Hitsugaya said. "Yamamoto-sou-taichoou told us to try keeping knowledge of Shinigami to a minimum. We will only tell him if the circumstances ask for it." Hitsugaya said firmly. The other three Shinigami agreed to that.

On Monday, the results of the Quidditch tryouts were up.

Hitsugaya and Ginny had made it as Chasers and Ichigo and Renji had made it as Beaters.

"You did it!" Matsumoto exclaimed happily, glomping all three men. Hitsugaya looked absolutely immune to it while Ichigo and Renji were blushing heavily.

"Wish she'd hug me like that…" Ron muttered under his breath only to have Hermione and Ginny smack him upside the head. "Ow! What did I say?"

"Have you heard the latest news?" Neville asked as they walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast.

"What?" Harry queried, looking curious.

"Umbridge got her Inquisitorial Squad again… and guess who's the leader?" Neville said.

"Malfoy!" the Golden trio said all together, grimaces set on their faces.

"He'll screw around with us for sure." Ron said sullenly.

"He'll target Hitsugaya a lot too. He really seems to hate him for always showing him up in class." Hermione said.

"He asks for it." Hitsugaya said with a nonchalant shrug. "He can try what he likes. It won't bug me."

"You sure about that? Malfoy can be really horrible." Neville remarked, sounding concerned.

"I've handled worse." Hitsugaya responded, keeping his cool.

In Potions, Snape tried to get into another Shinigami's mind: Hitsugaya's. this led Snape to understanding a certain concept up close and personal: brain freeze.

The Golden trio's prediction had been right as Malffoy tormented them all constantly. They ignored him for the most part, until Aizen's class.

They were practicing the fourth Way of Destruction, Byakurai. As Ichigo wasn't exactly adept at kidou, he was bound to be mocked.

"You're pathetic, Kurosaki." Malfoy sneered, looking downright gleeful. He was taking advantage of the fact that Ichigo couldn't hurt him without getting in serious trouble. "I doubt you could protect your own mother!"

Malfoy gagged as Ichigo's hands wrapped around his throat in a tight death grip. Malfoy met Ichigo's eyes to see that they had turned into a frightening gold color with black sclera.

The other students screamed out in alarm.

"Let him go, Ichigo. You're killing him!" Hermione cried out in alarm. Harry and Ron tried to pry Ichigo's fingers off of Malfoy with little avail.

Seeing how dire the situation was becoming, Hitsugaya acted quickly.

"Hado 4: Byakurai!" Hitsugaya cried out and the white burst of light went straight through Ichigo's shoulder. He instantly dropped Malfoy.

"Malfoy needs to be brought to the Hospital Wing!" Hermione said and Crabbe and Goyle took Malfoy out of the classroom.

Professor McGonagall had arrived, hearing the commotion and she was staring with a mix of anger and shock at Ichigo.

"Never have I seen such aggression!" she exclaimed, sounding outraged. "Come with me, Mr. Kurosaki."

Ichigo followed her without a sound, his eyes shadowed by his hair. The moment they left, the whispers started.

"He nearly killed Malfoy!" Seamus exclaimed. "I know Malfoy's a right git but that was going a little too far."

"I've never seen anyone get that angry before." Harry said. He'd only felt anger akin to that when Sirius had died.

Hitsugaya, Renji and Matsumoto looked at each other. This incident was bad… this new found fear everyone had of Ichigo would only make things worse for their mission.

No one noticed that Aizen looked downright pleased with the turn of events.

I would have had more for this chapter but I got confused over what I should do. There are two different ideas I have… both with an equal amount of pros and cons (I think). So I'll leave it to you to decide which path sounds better. Both my beta and I are stumped over this, so in order to go on, I'll need some input.

The Shinigami erase everyone's memory (save Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall) of the incident and things go on accordingly.

The Shinigami don't erase the memory and Ichigo shunned (for the most part), dealing with Umbridge and Ministry for incident, etc.

Choose which one sounds better for the long run. My mind's on the verge of exploding from trying to choose by myself.


	11. The Truth is Out

Chapter Eleven

Hey, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I wanted to give plenty of time for your input to be given over this matter. Not to mention I had finals to deal with. I'm happy they're finally over and I'm back at home. Now that it's summer for me, hopefully, I can focus more on the stories I have.

The results for the poll for whether the memories should be erased or not came down to:

For erasing memory: 12

For shunning Ichigo: 7

Therefore, the memories of everyone (save a selective few) will be erased. I may have it that a few students start seeing through the memory modification, if that's what you would like.

**TaleWeaver**: you know, I had actually considered the idea that it was Aizen that made Draco do it. It sure sounded like a good idea and it would show that Draco is pretty susceptible to Aizen's suggestions… Might as well go with that. And seeing Lucius or Snape try to mess with Byakuya _would_ be hilarious, a disaster waiting to happen on the wizard's part, ne? A Shinigami vs. Death Eater battle is coming up soon (may throw in a few Arrancar in as well, maybe). I'm not a too big fan of IchigoRukia, it's nice, but a little too common for my tastes. I see them a bit more like siblings, really. It'll most likely be RenRuki, if anything. And Umbridge will gets what's comng for her. evil grin I really hate her guts.

**Chm01**: The idea is an interesting one but I really don't like Momo too much. I mean I understand the circumstances but her loyalty to Aizen kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

**YunaBlaze**: the Espada will be popping up in the next chapter or so. I had to get certain factors out of the way for one.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Chapter ElevenThe Truth is Out

_**You should have had more restraint, Ichigo!**_ Zangetsu reprimanded in his mind.

_That bastard deserved it._ Shiro argued in Ichigo's favor.

Professor McGonagall led him to Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Blood Pops." She said and the gargoyle moved out of the way.

When they entered the office, they saw Dumbledore talking to Snape.

"Is something wrong, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, frowning at her expression. His eyes fell on Ichigo's bloodstained shoulder. The boy wasn't even acknowledging that he was wounded.

"There was an incident in the Eastern Magic class. Mr. Kurosaki nearly strangled Mr. Malfoy to death. If it hadn't been for Mr. Hitsugaya hurting him, he may have succeeded." The Deputy Headmistress said. Snape's eyes narrowed and Dumbledore's frown deepened. Still, Ichigo remained unresponsive.

The fifth Division Captain stirred only when he felt two different forces trying to get into his mind. He gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

Shiro took that time to materialize, slamming Snape into a wall and pointing the white Zangetsu at Dumbledore.

"Get outta King's head!" he yelled, seething. He bared his fangs.

Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at Shiro but Ichigo's hand closed around her wrist.

"Stand down, Shiro. They've stopped trying, so they're not a threat anymore. Don't make things worse." Ichigo said, his voice cool. Shiro scowled.

"But King, they were being nosy." The Hollow protested.

"They have every right to be, considering what we did." The Shinigami said. "They won't get into our mind but this intrusion isn't big enough a reason to kill them. They're not our enemy." Ichigo said.

Shiro scowled, letting Snape go and putting Zangetsu back.

"King knows best." He said grudgingly, fading away.

"What the hell was that?" Snape asked, eyes wide.

Ichigo gave him a surprisingly cool look and was about to answer when someone else did for him.

"That would be the darker aspect to Kurosaki's soul, created inadvertently when Kurosaki nearly died in a strange training session a couple of years back." Hitsugaya said as he, Matsumoto, Renji and Orion entered the office, looking solemn.

"What are you doing here?" McGonagall asked with a frown. "This matter holds none of your concern."

Hitsugaya flashed a look at her and McGonagall found herself backing down instinctively. Something told her that going against the child Captain was not a good idea.

"I'm afraid that this incident concerns us all greatly, Professor McGonagall." Orion said gravely, crossing his arms.

"Would you care to elaborate, Professor Kuroba?" Dumbledore asked, looking intrigued.

"This is a complicated matter, sir." Matsumoto said. "We had intended to keep to ourselves and work alone but it seems Ichigo's loss of control has proved… detrimental to our mission."

"Mission?" Snape repeated. All three wizards seemed to become weary at that. "And what mission would that be?"

"It's technically the same as yours." Orion said. "We wish to end Voldemort's existence."

"Then why didn't you come to us? It's well known that we're working to find a way to bring him down." McGonagall said.

"You are hindered by your… rather incompetent Ministry of Magic." Hitsugaya said with a frown. "We're better off working on our own terms."

"What makes you think you can stand up effectively against the Dark Lord?" Snape asked with a frown. "You're just four 6th year students and one Professor. You'd die against him."

"We don't fear death." Renji said with a roll of his eyes. At least they didn't fear death at the hands of a mortal.

"And why is that?" Dumbledore asked calmly, looking intrigued.

"We're already dead." Hitsugaya said bluntly. Snape and McGonagall looked poleaxed while Professor Dumbledore's eyes just twinkled in fascination.

"Well… all of us except Ichigo and Orion, that is. They're both stuck between the world of the living and the dead." Renji said, earning a slight glare from Hitsugaya.

"You don't need to go into details about their… precarious situation." The ice captain declared and Renji looked sheepish.

"You don't appear to be ghosts." Dumbledore observed, giving them a once over.

"We aren't. We're Shinigami, also known as Death Gods." Matsumoto declared. "Except for Orion. He's completely human. We were sent here by the head Captain to deal with Voldemort because he has committed a crime that Soul Society just can't ignore."

"And that crime would be?" McGonagall asked with a frown.

"He split his soul seven times. Humans are meant to have one Chain of Fate. By giving himself seven, he has defied normal laws concerning death." Hitsugaya said matter-of-factly.

Dumbledore sat up straighter at that point.

"So you know of the Horcruxes." He said, sounding solemn. "You aim to destroy them?"

The Shinigami and Orion nodded.

"Why did you choose to tell us all of this now?" Snape asked.

"Simple. Ichigo's loss of control can cause serious damage. We managed to erase the memories of all those who witnessed the attack but we have a feeling it wouldn't work on you, therefore we decided coming out with the truth would be the best course of action." Orion declared, giving Snape a clear look of dislike.

"Is there anything else you'd like to share?" the Headmaster inquired, looking curious.

"That's all you need to know for now. We'll disclose more information when it's needed." Hitsugaya stated definitively. They would keep Orion's true identity, Aizen and the truth about what Ichigo really was a secret for now.

"Well, it's good that you chose to inform us of your mission. Perhaps now our combined efforts may be of some benefit." Dumbledore declared. "Nevertheless, Mr. Kurosaki's actions can't go unpunished."

Ichigo looked down, preparing for the worst. What he'd done was a pretty serious offense. The punishment wouldn't be light. He wouldn't even be surprised if he was expelled.

"A month's worth of detention with Professor Snape should suffice." The Headmaster decided, much to the Shinigami's surprise. Ichigo was getting off light. "I'd also like to ask the five of you to join the Order of the Pheonix. We'll create a cover story for the students so that they're presence isn't questioned."

"I guess we can agree to that." Orion said. At least now they had their opening to the Order. Dumbledore nodded, looking pleased.

"Then I guess that's all we have to discuss for now." He said and he dismissed them.

When they were alone again, Ichigo let some of his emotions come through.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have lost control like that." He apologized.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." Hitsugaya said. "But it's too late now to apologize. You reacted the way any human would to a sensitive matter. We've already eliminated the worst of the risks that came with your outburst. The only ones who will remember this incident will be Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and Aizen."

"It could be worse, you know." Matsumoto declared brightly. "They could all remember and then you'd be in even more trouble… particularly with that horrible Umbridge woman."

"Only you would sound so optimistic when you said that." Renji said with a shake of his head.

Ichigo still looked pretty down, concerning his companions. Matsumoto smirked as she got an idea. She grabbed Ichigo by the wrist, stopping him.

"I've got an idea that will cheer you straight up." She said happily. She then turned to Orion. "Is there any place in this castle that we'd be ensured to have some peace and quiet?"

"The Room of Requirement would be good." He suggested, though he sounded bewildered. "It's on the 7th floor. I'll show it to you. All you have to do is walk three times in front of where the door would be, all the while thinking of what you need and it will appear."

Matsumoto's smile just grew wider.

"It sounds perfect." She said and she led Ichigo off to it. Renji, Hitsugaya and Orion followed.

When they entered the Room of Requirement, the Shinigami blinked. The room looked like a sake bar.

Hitsugaya sighed in slight annoyance.

"I should have known this was what she was planning." He said, but in no ways was he complaining. They all could use a good drink.

"Here you go." Matsumoto said, handing a bottle to Ichigo.

"I'm underage." He protested with wide eyes at what she was proposing.

"You've gone through more than a normal kid your age would go through. I think you're entitled to this more than a lot of people." Matsumoto declared. "Come on, just for one night. You need it."

"Go ahead, Ichigo. It might help you forget about what happened today, for a short while at least." Renji said, grabbing another bottle and taking a swig.

"As a professor, I shouldn't condone this sort of behavior… but considering who you guys are… I'll let it slide." Orion said, sounding amused. He took a bottle of firewhiskey for himself.

Ichigo blinked as even Hitsugaya took a bottle and it was at that point that he gave in.

"What the hell." He decided, taking a large gulp and grimacing slightly as it went down his throat.

The next morning, Ichigo woke up with a killer hangover. He groaned.

"Next time… Matsumoto tries to get me to drink… remind me to refuse…" he muttered, stumbling to his feet. He stared as he realized none of the others were awake yet, not even Hitsugaya. After a moment, he smirked.

Renji was sprawled in a corner, snoring and drooling, muttering "Rukia" over and over again. Orion was snuggled up nearby, holding a silver wolf plushy to him with a dreamy look on his face. But it was Hitsugaya and Matsumoto that amused Ichigo most of all. They lay together on a green couch similar to the one in Hitsugaya's office, limbs intertwined.

Ichigo wished he had a camera and it popped up in a corner. He grinned. He really did like this room. He quickly took pictures of all his friends for blackmail purposes.

Despite his hangover (which Shiro and Zangetsu were helping him deal with), Ichigo realized that Matsumoto had been right. He felt much better than he had the day before. The emotional tension he'd gone through was completely gone. Though he couldn't really remember what had happened that night while they were drinking, something must have happened to help lift the tension.

The others soon woke up and Hitsugaya quickly shunpo-ed a good distance from Matsumoto, face burning in embarrassment. Matsumoto just smirked.

"You don't need to act like a gentleman around me, Taichou. You could have stayed where you were." She teased, giggling as he flushed harder and gave her a glare.

They all shared a good laugh at each other's expense when Orion spoke.

"While this clear disregard for normal school ruled has been fun, I think it's time to end the fun and games. You guys still have classes to deal with." Orion said, as they all took one of the hangover potions that had popped up in the room.

The Shinigami nodded, a bit more sober now, and headed off.

It was time to come face to face with all of students again and see just what had been altered with the Shinigami's use of the Memory Modifier.

I hope you liked the chapter. I was thinking… should I pair Sirius up with someone? I've been getting into the Sirius/Remus fandom and was thinking of putting it into this story. He does need someone for himself… particularly after what he's been through, don't you think?

Coming up soon will be the Hogsmeade visit… which will have some interesting situations. If you have anything you'd like to see in it, feel free to tell.


	12. Reunion

Here's another chapter

Here's another chapter. Took me a bit longer than normal to write it but here you go. This will be the point where I suspect things will get far more exciting, so look forward to it. I may have a few Espada pop up in the next chapter (something I know **YunaBlaze** has been looking forward to).

I'm still ambivalent about the SiriusRemus bit. Many of you seem to oppose it while others seem to like it. I may just stick with the close camaraderie bit that could hopefully be better than nothing. As for Ichigo, I've come to realize his female options don't really satisfy me. So I may go with a male character: it's still open. Even the RenRuki idea seems to be facing some disagreement, so I may just leave it as a sister-brother bit. I'm fine with either way. We'll see what path this story takes.

Regardless of the pairings, romance will not be too big of a factor in the story so I hope that any pairings you disagree with don't deter you from the real focus of the story.

Chapter Twelve Reunion

As Hitsugaya had told him, everyone that had witnessed Ichigo's outburst didn't remember anything. All they thought was that there had been some havoc with Malfoy summoning a snake again but this time the snake rebelled and wrapped itself around his neck, nearly choking him to death.

Ichigo eventually stopped feeling so guilty, as no one was shunning him like he'd half expected them to. He still had to do his detentions, which was hell, considering it was Snape he had them with. Snape kept trying to pry into his mind, trying to find Shiro again. That is, until one day, Ichigo had shot his head up with black sclera-ed golden eyes and glared at him viciously. Self-preservation had set in then and Snape no longer tried to seek answers through his mind.

With Dumbledore's help, they'd placed Ishida, Orihime, Rukia and Sado in Hogsmeade, where they were working at places like the Three Broomsticks (Sado), Madam Puddifoot's (Rukia), Gladrags Wizardwear (Ishida) and Honeydukes (Orihime). They intended to meet up with them at the approaching Hogsmeade visit.

"I'll be with Professor McGonagall in the Three Broomsticks at around 2:00, okay? We'll meet there to discuss what we should do about finding those Horcruxes." Orion said and the Shinigami nodded, leaving the Professor to go meet Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna as they headed off to Hogsmeade together.

"So what places would you recommend going to?" Ichigo asked, looking around curiously.

"The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's and Honeydukes are three of the best places in Hogsmeade." Ron said, sounding enthusiastic. "You'll love it."

"I'm sure we will." Hitsugaya said, a little amused by the wizard's excitement.

"We need to go to Gladrags Wizardwear." Hermione said. "You remember how Dumbledore had announced that there would be a ball during Christmas, don't you? We need dress robes. At least Ginny, Luna and I do."

"While you go there, we'll go to Zonko's. We'll meet you at Honeydukes." Harry said. The girls agreed.

"Actually… we'll go with the girls. We don't have dress robes either." Renji said. They could at least go and collect Ishida before going on their way.

When they went to Gladrags, they found that it was crowded more than normal.

They were all curious as to why the place seemed so popular (even for there being a ball coming up) and they got their answer when they found that many of the girls wanted to buy dresses made by none other than Ishida Uryuu, who was wearing his traditional Qunicy outfit and seeming to fit straight in.

"We should've known…" Ichigo grinned as they finally got inside the building and saw Ishida standing proudly beside his creations as girls flocked around them, admiring them. "Oi! Ishida!"

Ishida turned and gave a slight look of annoyance at Ichigo before giving a nod of acknowledgement.

As Hermione, Ginny and Luna went to go look at dressrobes, the Shinigami went over to the Quincy.

"It looks like your work is well appreciated here." Matsumoto said, looking at the dresses. "They're very nice."

"Thank you." He said with a small appreciative nod. "Took you long enough to get here, Kurosaki."

Ichigo scowled at him.

"It's not our fault that everyone chose today to come here." He scowled, crossing his arms and huffing.

"Don't we need dress robes of our own?" Renji queried curiously.

"You won't have to worry about that." Ishida said, pushing up his glasses. "I'll make your dress robes myself. I'll just need your measurements."

"That's very nice of you, Ishida-kun!" Matsumoto said happily as Ishida got to work. By the time he was done, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna had finished with their purchases.

"Do you know him?" Ginny asked. "He makes the most amazing dress robes." Ishida was preening with pride.

"He's an old friend of ours from Shinigami Academy." Hitsugaya lied. "Meet Ishida Uryuu. He's a very unique Eastern wizard."

"How's that?" Hermione asked curiously.

"My magic is very specific to my clan… there are only two of us left." Ishida explained. "The other one is my father. I'm a half-blood, you can say."

"Can you give us a demonstration?" Ginny asked, sort of fascinated. She liked Eastern magic.

"You may get a chance to see it once. It all depends." Ishida said vaguely. He then looked at his watch. "Well I arranged with my boss to get off at this time, so we could hang out. So where do you want to go next?"

"We're meeting up with some of our new friends at Honeydukes." Ichigo declared. They could go pick Orihime up from there.

Hermione continued to try to convince Ishida to display some of his magic but he kept declining. He wouldn't show his Quincy powers unless situations called for it.

When they went to Honeydukes, they found Ron and several other boys salivating not over the candy but the new worker, none other than Inoue Orihime.

"Her chest is almost as big as Rangiku's!" Ron was telling a rather disinterested Harry. Then he felt the murderous intent and turned around to see Hitsugaya, Ichigo and Ishida glaring at Ron for that comment.

"Kindly keep your comments about Inoue-san and Matsumoto-san to yourself, sir. They're not very appreciated." Ishida said stiffly, pushing up his glasses again.

"Who are you?" Ron asked with a frown.

"Meet Uryuu Ishida. He's a good friend of ours." Renji explained. "The girl you were ogling is Orihime Inoue, Ichigo and Ishida's dear friend… and they're rather protective of her so keeping those comments to yourself may just save your life."

Ron shut up after that, nodding, a little more intimidated of Ichigo than Ishida.

Orihime's eyes fell on the Shinigami and her eyes brightened visibly.

"Kurosaki-kun!" she cried out happily, glomping him. Ichigo stumbled slightly from the force of the tackle but managed to remain standing.

"Nice to see you too, Inoue." He said with a small, wry grin.

Orihime then proceeded to glomp Hitsugaya, Renji and Matsumoto.

"Lucky…" Ron muttered under his breath and Hermione smacked him again.

"So, she's from your school too?" Luna asked in her dreamy voice.

"Yeah, she's particularly good at defense and healing." Matsumoto said affectionately. Orihime beamed proudly.

"So, this is Honeydukes." Ichigo said, diverting the attention away from Orihime before Hermione tried to get her to demonstrate her abilities. "Anything you'd recommend?"

The next fifteen minutes were spent looking at all the candy (though Hitsugaya wasn't exactly pleased with it). After that, they headed to the Three Broomsticks.

Seeing Orion beckoning the Shinigami over, Hitsugaya turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna.

"Well, we planned to meet with Professor Kuroba for now, so we'll see you later." He said. The wizards looked a little puzzled but conceded and headed off by themselves.

The four Shinigami, the Quincy and Orihime headed off to where Orion, Professor McGonagall, Rukia and Chad were waiting for them.

Rukia squeezed the hell out of both Renji and Ichigo and bopped them on the head too, for not keeping up with correspondence.

"We got a little busy!" Ichigo called out defensively, rubbing his head and glaring at the girl he saw as a sister. He then focused his attentions on his large best friend, granting Chad a small smile. "Yo." He and Chad grasped hands and smirked at each other, a silent reunion (for the most part).

"Now that the reunion's over, shall we get down to business?" McGonagall asked, sounding slightly impatient. The Shinigami and Ryoka nodded and they sat down.

"So, first and foremost, we need to find out what items are the Horcruxes." Ishida declared, crossing his arms.

"According to Albus, two are already destroyed: Tom Riddle's diary and Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Harry destroyed the diary in his second year when it was using Ginny Weasley to open the Chamber of Secrets and reek havoc upon the Muggleborns. Albus himself destroyed Gaunt's ring using the Gryffindor Sword that Harry pulled out of the Sorting Hat. There are five left: Voldemort's snake, Nagini; Helga Hufflepuff's cup; Salazar Slytherin's locket; Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem and the last one I'm not too sure of." McGonagall said with a small frown.

Hitsugaya frowned to himself. He knew Harry was the last Horcrux. He'd seen the second Chain of Fate attached to him and the putrid aura around it. He didn't say it out loud. He knew Orion would cause a scene and the Ryoka would not be pleased either, particularly with the chances that Harry would have to die in order to fully get rid of the Dark Lord. Ichigo would take that particularly hard.

"All we need to do is find the location of these Horcruxes and destroy them." Rukia said, sounding serious.

That was when the screams started.

Also, I'm thinking we'll need to introduce new Espada (considering Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and maybe Nnoitora may be the only ones I keep alive from the original ten). The 1st spot though, will be left empty for certain reasons. So if you guys would like to choose who takes the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Espada positions, feel free to make suggestions.


	13. Chaos in Hogsmeade

Chapter 13

Here's the next chapter. I actually think it's decently sized for once. It's the first battle, so I hope it meets your expectations. I have some concerns about how I write battle scenes, so any advice you could give me would be appreciated greatly.

I've decided that I'm most likely not going to do any other pairings save for HitsuMatsu, IshiOri, RonHermione, HarryGinny and maybe NevilleLuna. Well, at least those are the pairings I am staunchly in favor of and will try to show in this story. As I said, romance is not a major factor. I had wanted to find someone for Ichigo, but I just can't find anyone I'm really in favor of having with him. I know many of you like IchiRuki, but I just can't write it. So, I'm sorry.

**Wild Dragon's breath**: the others are there because the four Shinigami at Hogwarts would have some restrictions in their ability to do things because of Umbridge. Having help on the outside would be convenient, wouldn't you say?

**TaleWeaver**: you've got a pretty good point about it. I'd actually been thinking on those lines myself just a little while before I got your review. I've got my set pairings and will stick with them from now on. The idea about Ishida's arrows and the Horcruxes actually sounds pretty good. I'll consider it. I love the way you think 3.

**Ultramatt17**: Thanks for the advice, I was wondering where I should place everyone on the power scale. I'm going to try balancing both sides: the shinigami and wizards. Any advice on how I can even the playing field between the good and evil sides? I'm drawing a blank at the moment.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter.

Chapter 13Chaos in Hogsmeade

"What's going on?" Harry asked, trying to walk out of the Three Broomsticks to investigate the source of the chaos.

"Stay in here, Potter!" McGonagall ordered as she and some of the other Professors headed out of the pub and headed to deal with what was going on. Orion stayed behind with the Shinigami, Ryoka, the Golden trio, Luna, Neville and Ginny.

As sounds of struggle rang on, they soon got visual, seeing Death Eaters attacking the Professors, Aurors and members of the Order, including Remus and Tonks.

Ichigo caught sight of the two Vizard amongst the Death Eaters easily. Instead of wearing the normal Death Eater masks, they were wearing their Hollow masks.

_Ooh, looks like fun. I want to have a go._ Shiro said, sounding pleased with the idea of battle. He really hadn't had any real chance to fight in what felt like months. He was lusting after it big time and Ichigo knew he owed his Hollow that much for being so patient with this mission.

Rukia seemed to be able to understand Ichigo's intentions as she saw his eyes flickering gold and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Wizards can see Shinigami, I hope you know that." She whispered. "You go out there and your identity is forfeit."

"But they're out of their league with those two out there. They're doing more damage than the Death Eaters." Ichigo argued with a small frown. Yes, he knew the Vizards were on their side but that meant that they would have to go all out in order to make it seem that they really were on Voldemort's side. Therefore, the wizards stood little chance against them.

Orion looked thoughtful before an idea came to him.

"Follow me." He said and he led the Shinigami and Ryoka out of the Three Broomsticks.

Harry saw the chance to leave as well.

"Come on, now that the Professor is out of here, we can go help out." He said, not one to like those he cared for (such as Remus, who was now his only tie to his parents) fight without trying to help.

Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna nodded before heading off to try to fend off the Death Eaters as well.

Remus was fighting against Hirako and struggling to fend off the odd magic the Vizard was using against him… and parrying the blows from Hirako's zanpakutou.

Tonks was fighting Hiyori and appeared to be having even more trouble than Remus. Hiyori appeared to be an even more savage fighter than Hirako, but Remus had a feeling Hirako was holding back… for whatever reason.

He glimpsed Harry and his eyes widened in panic.

"Get out of here!" he called out to the teenagers before dodging to the side as Hirako struck out.

"Pay attention to your own safety, old man." Hirako's distorted voice declared maliciously as he swung his sword and managed to pierce Remus' shoulder.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry called out, eyes wide in horror as he saw the bloody wound. He feared for Remus' life.

Suddenly a group of black blurs shot out and stopped, floating above the battle. This caught everyone's attention.

The first impression was that they were Death Eaters, but that idea quickly changed when they noticed the differences in outfits. They were Japanese in style, with the black hakama, white inner kimono and black outer kimono. Three of the warriors had sleeveless white haoris as well, with Japanese numbers on the back: 3, 5, and 10. Their faces were covered with a hood and excess cloth, covering their lower face so only their eyes could be seen.

The most prominent looking one was the one with the haori with the number 5 on it. He had a mask on, much like the one Hirako and Hiyori wore and his sword was huge. The two Vizard smirked at Ichigo's obvious arrival. To his right was a diminutive-sized swordsman whose teal eyes and icy aura made him stand out. On the other side, was a short female also with an icy aura and a beautiful white blade.

On the icy male's side were two females, with rather voluptuous bodies. One of them was clearly hanging onto the other to be able to stay up in the air. The last one on the right side was a boy with glasses and cool blue eyes and a magnificent glowing blue bow in his hands. On the left beside the short female was a tall male with red eyes and a unique jagged blade and beside him was a tall, broad male, who was hanging onto the red-eyed male. He had unique armor surrounding his arms. Beside him was a wizard on a broom, whose features were completely hidden.

Professor McGonagall seemed to relax slightly as she recognized the Shinigami, Ryoka and Orion himself.

"Well, well… It appears we've got some unexpected visitors." Hirako said, eyes honed in on Ichigo.

Ichigo's – or rather – Shiro's golden eyes focused in on the other Vizard and he smirked, though it couldn't be seen behind the mask.

The two of them made a silent conversation as they launched themselves at each other, fighting ruthlessly.

This proved to be the sign to restart the battle and everyone surged forward again.

Renji took Tonks' place against Hiyori, and the two hotheads went at it brutally.

At first, it seemed with the addition of the Shinigami and Ryoka, the battle seemed to be going into the Order's favor as most Death Eaters were a few levels below Lieutenant level and thus, were at a great disadvantage.

Only Lucius, Bellatrix, and Snape were above Lieutenant level, but only just.

Aizen himself was playing the part of being on the Order's side, as to have no suspicion directed towards him. He wanted Voldemort dead himself. He'd be the Overlord of all the words and not that poor excuse of a wizard. He was holding back the majority of his power, though, otherwise, he could surely end everything right there and he wanted to keep his power secret from the mortals. However, he could see the battle was growing rather… dull with the Shinigami and Ryoka dominating the Death Eaters (save for the Vizards). Therefore, he decided to throw in some wild cards to make things even.

The Shinigami and Ryoka paused in battle when they heard the familiar zipping noise of a Garganta opening up and three figures popped out: Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and Nnoitora.

Shiro met Grimmjow's eyes and the bloodlust in his own eyes seemed to grow all the more.

"_Sorry, pal, find someone else to fight._" He told Hirako callously before lunging for the teal-haired Espada.

Renji switched to fighting Hirako, Rukia and Matsumoto took Hiyori, Hitsugaya fought Ulquiorra, while Ishida and Chad took on Nnoitora. Orihime acted as defense for the Golden trio, Ginny, Neville and Luna.

"They can't be human…" Tonks murmured in awe as she glimpsed the battle while having a small reprieve from her own tussle with Bellatrix.

"Watch out!" Orion called, attacking Bellatrix as she'd prepared to strike Tonks with the Killing Curse. "Keep your eyes on your opponent!"

Tonks nodded, frowning as she felt the voice was vaguely familiar. She shook it off as she went back to fighting.

"Going all out today, berry?" Grimmjow sneered with a wide manic grin. He was more than pleased to fight Ichigo with his Hollow mask out.

"_Ichigo's not here righ' now. Feel free to talk to him later._" Shiro said, giggling insanely.

Grimmjow scowled as he realized he was dealing with Ichigo's more powerful and far more vicious (to all except Ichigo nowadays) Inner Hollow.

"_You're working for that bastard, Aizen, aren't you?_" Shiro asked Grimmjow as their blades clashed. The sixth Espada just smirked.

"What's it to you?" he shot back, swinging his blade in hopes of beheading the golden-eyed Hollow.

"_Jus' thought you were better than the res' and would have ditched the jackass by now. Then again, this is you we're talkin' bout._" Shiro sneered and Grimmjow snarled in annoyance.

"Shut up, you freak of nature!" Grimmjow yelled as his attacks became all the more fierce. "_Kishire_, Pantera!"

"_Now we're talkin'!_" Shiro whooped gleefully as Grimmjow transformed, catching everyone's attention with his burst of power.

"Don't get carried away!" Hitsugaya called out in Japanese, seeing that Shiro was goading Grimmjow to dangerous levels. "The humans won't be able to withstand the combination of your two reiatsus bearing down on them!"

What he said was true, as many of the wizards' battles were ending as they sank to their knees, gasping for breath as the spirit pressure smothered them.

"Like I care, short stack!" Grimmjow called back, attacking the battle happy Shiro with even more force.

Ulquiorra could see things were headed in a direction that Aizen hadn't planned on and would have done something about it but Hitsugaya was serving to be quite the tricky opponent.

Shiro comprehended the risk and though he didn't care much himself, he knew Ichigo did. Thus, he made a move to get rid of that particular problem.

"_Let's take this somewhere else, kitty cat._" He said, shooting off into the air. Grimmjow gave chase.

The wizards were beginning to recover as the two powerhouses left the area but some recovered faster than others.

Harry was trying to get back to his feet when he saw none other than Lucius Malfoy hovering over him.

"I thought you were in Azkaban." Harry said, glaring defiantly at the blonde aristocrat, who sneered back.

"The Dark Lord rewards those who are loyal to him." Lucius responded, raising his wand. "He'll reward me even better for killing you. _Avada_ –"

Lucius never got to finish the spell as someone came to Harry's rescue.

"_Stupefy!_"

The spell struck Lucius in the back and the Death Eater keeled over, stunned.

Harry stared as the hooded wizard who had come with the strangely powered individuals standing before him.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern, holding out a hand for Harry. Harry stared at him, seeming to assess him for a moment or two before taking hold of the hand and standing up.

"I'm fine." He said. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem." The wizard responded before throwing himself back onto the battlefield with fervor.

Harry couldn't help but feel there was something familiar about him. Just like the feeling he'd gotten from Professor Kuroba.

He shook his head. It wasn't the time for introspection. He dodged a spell and disarmed the Death Eater that had attacked him.

He heard a scream and saw the hooded girl that had been defending everyone with what appeared to be fairies surrounded by Death Eaters on all sides. Her fairies seemed to be indisposed at the moment. She was completely vulnerable.

He started heading off to help her when a series of blue glowing arrows shot into the ground, surrounding her like a protective barrier. Then the energy in the arrows burst out, hitting all the surrounding Death Eaters and knocking them out.

Harry then watched as the glasses wearing hooded warrior coming down from the air, scooping up the girl as her fairies disappeared and brought her into the air with him as he fought Nnoitora alongside Chad. She hung onto his back using her fairies again to make a shield to protect Ishida and Chad.

'_These guys are amazing_.' Harry thought to himself.

Now with the two bloodthirsty warriors out of the way (namely Grimmjow and Shiro) out of the way, most of the attention was focused towards Hitsugaya and Ulquiorra. Their power and level of control was awe-inspiring. Harry was reminded of the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort he'd witnessed several months ago in the Ministry of Magic.

Harry had just started paying attention to the battle and was curious as to why the green-eyed warrior seemed to be encasing parts of his body with ice. He didn't know Hitsugaya was sealing his wounds.

Harry put the thought aside as Hitsugaya was already encased in ice from releasing his Bankai, which was rather impressive.

Hitsugaya knew he only had a limited time before his Bankai faded away. He'd already lost five of the twelve petals.

"_Ryuusenka!_" he called out, managing to stab Ulquiorra in the arm. The entire arm froze solid, but it didn't slow Ulquiorra down at all.

Ishida and Chad would have had an even harder time with Nnoitora if it hadn't been for Orihime's shield. It protected them from the worst of the fifth Espada's attacks while they retaliated with their own attacks.

"Come fight with me like real men instead of hiding behind the protection of a woman." Nnoitora challenged, looking every bit the crazed lunatic he was.

As the Shinigami and Ryoka got busy fighting the Espada and Vizards, the Death Eaters were beginning to regain their nearly lost advantage in the battle.

Harry found himself in a circle with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna, as they covered each other's backs against the Death Eaters. It appeared that they had become top targets, not only because of Harry but because they seemed like the easiest targets to defeat because they were students. Yet, they were definitely serving to be a decent challenge to Voldemort's forces as they worked together as a team.

That was when Dumbledore arrived. His presence alone seemed to turn the tide of the battle.

It was then that the Death Eaters chose to retreat. It wouldn't be smart to go too far now with Dumbledore present in the area.

They started apparating away and that was when Aizen decided it was time to withdraw his own forces.

"We'll finish this another time, trash." Ulquiorra said before he went to find Grimmjow. Nnoitora just left through the Garganta.

At that point, Hitsugaya's Bankai faded away and the ice keeping his wounds closed melted. Everyone screamed in shock as blood suddenly poured out of Hitsugaya as he began to fall from the sky.

The busty swordswoman surged forward and caught him before he could meet his bloody end upon impact with the ground.

"Taichou!" she was calling out, trying to rouse the weakened Tenth Division Captain.

"Santen Kesshun!" the other busty girl called out and two of her fairies produced a golden light that surrounded Hitsugaya, slowly healing his wounds.

Meanwhile, Grimmjow and Shiro were still fighting ever so fiercely when Ulquiorra stopped the other Espada.

"Aizen has called for our retreat, come." Ulquiorra said coolly and Grimmjow scowled.

"Another time, berryhead." Grimmjow declared as the two Espada entered the Garganta.

Shiro pouted, disappointed that the battle was over.

"_Mah… ah well. There's always the next time._" Shiro decided. He then appraised his own wounds. "Might as well fix us up now…"

_**You must look insane… talking to yourself.**_ Zangetsu said in a dismissive tone. Shiro just giggled.

"_I am insane_." He said in a definitive tone. He grinned as he heard both Ichigo and Zangetsu sigh in annoyance.

Just get along with healing us, Shiro. Ichigo said from the Inner World. It won't do if we go back to school and we're all scratched up.

"_Sure thing, King._" Shiro said and he started using high speed regeneration to close the wounds they'd received in battle against Grimmjow. They then returned to where the others were waiting for them.

Dumbledore was holding off everyone so they wouldn't approach the Shinigami, Ryoka and Orion. This way, they could regroup properly and deal with the situation.

"Ikko." Ichigo said, now in control. The mask was gone, so his ochre eyes could be clearly seen.

The others nodded and once Hitsugaya was healed, they fled the scene.

"Who were those people? They weren't wizards, were they?" Tonks asked, looking rather curious.

"I wouldn't push that possibility out yet." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. "There are many different types of magic out there. This could just be another type. We can discuss this more later."

The Order members all knew what that meant. They would have an Order meeting soon to discuss the situation.

After all the Shinigami and Ryoka were healed, they prepared to go their separate ways as everything was quieting down.

"We should go find our gigais before someone realizes that they aren't us." Renji mused and the four Shinigami went back to Hogwarts, where all the students had been carted off while the battle had been going on.

They entered their bodies just as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna entered the room after getting a heavy scolding for getting into a battle that they shouldn't have been involved in.

"What happened to you guys?" Ichigo asked, feigning innocence.

"We got caught up in the Death Eater battle." Harry admitted. "We couldn't just sit there. Where did Professor Kuroba take you guys?"

"He took us back to where the carriages were. He wanted to make sure we got back in one piece. We're under his supervision and all, so he took his responsibility over our safety rather seriously." Hitsugaya said, not missing a beat. In truth, Orion had taken them to an area where they could get out of their bodies and he transfigured their clothing some so that their faces were covered. For Chad, Orihime, Ishida and himself, Orion had merely changed their clothing to match the Shinigami clothes.

"That makes sense." Hermione said, pondering just how credible that statement was. She was just a little curious about who those mysterious warriors were. Did the new students and their friends have anything to do with it? There was still much she had to consider before she could clearly show her suspicions.

The four Shinigami sighed in relief as everyone bought their story and they headed off to the Common Room, after Dumbledore's speech about the incident. They noted he kept out information about them, something they were grateful about. They knew by the next day, however, news of their role in the battle would be well known, if the reporters they'd glimpsed hiding near the battlefield were anything to go by.

"Let's rest for now. We'll discuss this situation in detail later." Hitsugaya decided and the other three nodded.

Hitsugaya was about to leave himself when Matsumoto grabbed his arm.

"You really gave me a scare back there, Taichou." She said. "The only time I'd seen you even more badly hurt was when Aizen cut you down during the Ryoka invasion…"

"I'm fine, aren't I?" he asked and she nodded.

"You are but… don't do that to me again." She ordered and he gave her a small smile.

"Yes, ma'am." He said in a slightly teasing voice, squeezing her hand. "Good night, Matsumoto."

"Good night, Hitsugaya-taichou." She responded and she headed off to the Girl's Dormitory.


	14. The Order

Here's the chapter I was talking about

Here's another chapter and I hope you like it. Special thanks to **Ultramatt17** for betaing it for me.

**Rhamiel506**: you're idea has some promise. It's a little intimidating I suppose to consider Arrancar/hollows at Voldemort's disposal, but it would definitely strengthen his forces some. I'll think about it.

**Zigyy553**: I'm not sure when the Shinigami's identities will be revealed but I think it will happen in a few chapters or so… if I don't find another plot twist to put in between. Haven't really thought that far yet.

**D-Generation XX**: He was in Bankai… or did I forget to mention that? If that's the case then… my bad.

**2stupid**: Nel would be an interesting addition. I might be able to fit her in with a certain idea I have forming in my head (though that particular idea may not be so good for Ichigo).

**Argella1300**: I'm considering the merits of adding the other characters. I'll have Gin pop up once or twice I suppose but I think I'd inferred that Tosen is dead now.

**CO Raven**: you have some valid points. I really need some work when it comes to battles between Shinigami and wizards. At least to show the advantages wizards may have.

**Swordsoul2000**: my bad about the mistake. I always did mix those two up. Thanks for pointing it out to me. I hadn't even remembered that I had her speaking out one of her incantations…

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter.

Chapter FourteenThe Order

The next day, Dumbledore called Ichigo, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Renji and Orion to his office, where McGonagall and Snape were also present. "Yesterday's performance was quite… impressive." Dumbledore complimented. "No one suspects you, I hope."

"No one so far. We made a pretty good alibi for where we'd been the entire time. And there's no way it can be proven otherwise because our bodies really did go back before we appeared at the battle. The ones at risk of exposure would most likely be Ishida, Inoue and Chad, but since they're not exactly present here at Hogwarts, they won't be investigated as strongly if anyone suspects." Hitsugaya declared.

"That's good." Dumbledore said with a nod. "Your appearance has left quite an impression and thus, we have arranged an Order meeting to discuss it. Severus, Minerva and I promise to not reveal any information about you that could endanger your mission. We will try our best to convince them that you are no threat to us whatsoever and have the same goal as us."

"How are we so sure that they aren't a threat? Kurosaki over there seems to share some rather fearsome… similarities to the Dark Lord's latest recruits." Snape said with narrowed eyes. Ichigo scowled at him.

"Don't accuse me of working for some deranged bastard just because people who are like me are helping him. I'm a Shinigami first and foremost. I'm not a part of their group." Ichigo said. He pondered the idea of telling them that Shinji and Hiyori were acting as double agents but he opted not to. The two Vizards had informed him of that in confidence. They didn't want anyone else to know.

"Kurosaki is a Captain and our trust in him is as strong as your trust in your Order. He poses no threat to you whatsoever." Hitsugaya said coolly, daring Snape to challenge his statement. The Potions Master wisely chose to shut his mouth. He didn't want another experience with the young Captain's icy personality, but he managed to give a cold glare in the tensai's direction.

"So you want us to go to Order meetings, but how are we going to do so without suspicion rising about our presence and our role in the battle?" Renji asked curiously.

"I've already decided a course of action. We're taking Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna as well, since they were in the battle and perhaps a little too involved to be just left out. They won't be a part of the real meeting, but they'll be there and informed of what they should know. I plan to induct Orion into the Order tonight and we can have you come along as you _are_ his responsibility. You'll stay with your classmates outside the meeting and Orion can inform you of everything that happened during the meeting." The Headmaster declared.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose." Matsumoto remarked with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"Minerva will come to lead you to my office tonight with the others. Be prepared by then." Dumbledore stated and the four Shinigami nodded before heading off.

"Things are going to change now that we've brought our abilities out into the open." Hitsugaya remarked as they headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. "For the most part, I'm sure we gave the impression that we're on their side, but there may be some uncertainties concerning you, Kurosaki. Using your mask in the midst of two Vizard Death Eaters was perhaps not the best idea."

"What could I have done, Toushirou? Shiro wanted out and it was the least I could do for him." Ichigo said. "He hasn't had much opportunity to come out and fight. Better I give him control willingly than him taking control by force and going ballistic."

"Point taken." Renji said as they all ignored Hitsugaya's protests about being called Toushirou. "I guess it'll just be a little harder for you to get full trust."

"Wouldn't be the first time, now would it?" Ichigo quipped with a shake of his head. They dropped the subject when they finally arrived in the Great Hall. They noted that Umbridge was keeping an extra close eye on them. Ichigo shot her a dirty look, fingers twitching as he wished he could throttle her until she gave up her vendetta on them..

"You think anyone would mind if I used a cero on her?" Ichigo whispered, actually agreeing with Shiro's sentiment. This earned him a reprimanding glare. "Okay, okay. Bad idea."

Hitsugaya didn't exactly pay attention to what Ichigo was saying as he was busy glaring at anyone who ogled Matsumoto. Matsumoto herself was immune to the looks but she enjoyed seeing her Captain so protective over her.

"So where have you guys been?" Ron asked them as the four Shinigami sat down.

"Professor Orion wanted to talk to us." Matsumoto lied with a bright, cheerful smile. The students nodded at her explanation, accepting it for what it was. She didn't seem to be lying. But Hermione didn't seem nearly so convinced as she shot a look at Matsumoto, trying to look past her cheerful exterior to see if she was really telling the truth.

"You missed an interesting conversation." Seamus said from the side. "Harry was telling us all about what happened in the battle yesterday."

"Professor Aizen sounded like he was a real help, with all that kidou he knew and used. He went all the way up into the 50s for both binding and destructive spells." Hermione said. "He said it took _years_ to be able to do high level spells like that."

"Be careful, Hermione or we might think that you've got a crush on him like you did Lockhart." Ron jested. Hermione looked indignant.

"That's hardly the case. I just think he's a very efficient wizard, that's all." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"He was just teasing you, Hermione." Harry said, trying to appease her. "And you know… Professor Aizen wasn't the only one who really stood out in the battle. Those hooded warriors really turned the tide, particularly the masked one and the ice wielder."

"But that masked one… he was just like those two weird Death Eaters that were giving Professor Lupin and Tonks trouble." Neville remarked with a small frown.

That jarred Harry's memory about his dream near the beginning of school. He frowned as he thought about it but he refrained from talking about it yet. Was their supposed masked aide really connected with the mysterious blondes that had joined Voldemort? Harry tried to remember their names from when they'd introduced themselves to the Dark Lord but he couldn't remember.

"I don't think he really needs to be worried about. I think he really is on our side. You saw how he led his opponent away from the battlefield when the ice wielder told him to." Harry pointed out. "At least that's what I think the ice wielder said. He wasn't speaking in English, so I can only assume."

Hermione frowned and looked like she wanted to comment on Harry's statement but held back. She didn't know what she should do with her thoughts on the matter. At least for now.

"I guess the best thing to do is reserve judgment for now." Ginny said with a decisive nod. No one noticed that Ichigo had become a lot more reserved during the conversation. He hated that even here, where no one knew of what a Vizard was, they still feared them. It disturbed him greatly.

_Are ya ashamed of me, King?_ Shiro asked in a subdued voice.

'_No. It's just irritating how quick people are to judge upon sight of our mask._' Ichigo responded.

_**They'll understand eventually, Ichigo.**_ Zangetsu said supportively. Ichigo visibly relaxed after that. He couldn't let it bother him.

As the day went on, the Shinigami noted that Umbridge was keeping a frighteningly close eye on them. "At this rate, we won't even be able to go to the meeting with her around." Renji muttered in Japanese. They'd speak that way so no one could overhear.

"We'll have to distract her somehow. Any ideas?" Matsumoto inquired curiously. They all thought for a moment when Shiro came up with an idea.

_Leave it to me, King. I can keep her distracted all night for you, if you want me to._ the Hollow practically sang. Ichigo could almost see his manic grin.

'_But what if she sees you?_' Ichigo asked, having some reservations about the idea.

_Don't worry, she won't. Like I'd let that toad get a glimpse of me. I'll be careful._ Shiro promised. _Don't tell me you don't think she deserves it._

Ichigo had to agree with that, albeit a little reluctantly. '_Fine, I'll let you keep her busy. Just don't cause any real physical harm. That won't help our cause at all._' Ichigo relented. Shiro let out a whoop of joy.

_Don't worry, King. I won't do anything __**too**__ bad. Just trust Me._ he said gleefully before receding back into the Inner World.

"Shiro will keep her busy. He volunteered himself." Ichigo said to everyone. They looked a little wary but agreed that it was perhaps the best course of action. For one, with Shiro busy somewhere else, he wouldn't be there to react badly to possible situations at the Order that could be detrimental to their plans.

Near midnight, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were waiting in the Gryffindor Common Room for the one who would lead them to Dumbledore's office so that they could go to the headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix. They were rather surprised when Ichigo, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Renji walked into the Common Room and sat across from them.

"What are you guys doing up?" Harry inquired curiously.

"The same as you." Matsumoto said cheerily. The five wizards looked at each other in trepidation. The transfer students didn't know of the Order… did they?

"You don't need to act so surprised. Professor Kuroba is going to be inducted into the Order tonight and as his charges, we're to come with him." Hitsugaya said calmly.

"So, he's joining the Order?" Harry said, sounding interest. "That's good, I guess. The Order could use as much help as it could."

"I wonder why Professor Dumbledore isn't considering Professor Aizen for the Order. Wouldn't he be a good addition as well?" Neville inquired curiously. The Shinigami's expressions hardened.

"Just because Aizen appears trustworthy doesn't mean he is." Ichigo said. "Sometimes you have to look deeper behind the mask to see the true intentions someone holds. At least, that's my opinion."

"You're just saying that because Professor Aizen picks on you a lot." Ron said bluntly. A vein nearly popped in Ichigo's forehead as he stood up threateningly.

"Sit down and control that temper of yours, Kurosaki." Hitsugaya said sharply, glaring at Ichigo. The orange-haired Shinigami grumbled under his breath but sat down again. They dropped the subject of Aizen as they feared setting Ichigo off again. Soon, Professor McGonagall arrived, Luna at her side.

"Come on, the others are waiting for you at Professor Dumbledore's office." The Deputy Headmistress declared in a serious voice and the students followed her silently.

'_Time for us to split, Shiro._' Ichigo said to his Inner Hollow, who giggled.

_See ya later, King._ Shiro said before materializing a distance away and melting into the shadows. Time to go hunting for a certain High Inquisitor…

When they arrived at Professor Dumbledore's office, they saw that Orion and Snape were already there. There was a dirty old boot on the Headmaster's desk. Harry assumed that it was the Portkey that would take them to Grimmauld Place. Something inside him twinged at the thought of Sirius' old home, but he pushed it aside. He wouldn't let it bother him right now… he wouldn't get depressed.

Professor Dumbledore gave them all a warm smile. "It looks like we're all ready to go now." He remarked. "Everyone grab hold of the boot. The Portkey is set to activate within a minute." It was a bit difficult, given the number of people using it, but everyone managed to get a hold of the boot and a few moments later, they felt the tug to their navels and off they went. They landed in Grimmauld Place and the Shinigami had to take a few moments to get used to traveling with a Portkey.

"That's definitely not my favorite way to travel." Renji decided, looking a little green to the face.

"Oh, buck up." Ichigo said. "I didn't think it was all that bad."

"Of course you didn't. You're insane." Renji grumbled. Ichigo's eyebrow twitched and he grabbed hold of Renji's collar.

"I'll take that as a compliment." The Fifth Division Captain growled hotly, gritting his teeth.

"That's enough out of you two." Hitsugaya said sharply and the two redheads backed away from each other.

"It's funny that they listen to you so easily, Hitsugaya. It's almost like you're the leader." Ron quipped, looking amused. Hitsugaya snorted.

"Not really. I'm just the voice of reason." He responded.

"And that's why we all love you so much." Matsumoto said happily, glomping Hitsugaya. He struggled almost instantly, practically suffocating from the way his head was buried between her voluptuous breasts. Orion and Professor Dumbledore looked rather amused by the display, Professor McGonagall looked partly disapproving and Professor Snape looked downright disgusted. When Hitsugaya started turning blue, Ichigo and Renji began to panic and pulled Hitsugaya out of Matsumoto's bosom. He gasped and gulped in as much air as he could.

"You have a rather odd way of showing affection to your young friend, Miss Matsumoto." Professor Dumbledore said amiably. "I'm sure everyone can agree to that." That's when the students noticed that they were no longer alone. They saw many people they recognized from the battle. Remus and Tonks were there, along with the entire Weasley family (save Percy), Moody, Fleur, Hestia Jones, Mundungus Fletcher, and Arabella Figg.

Orion seemed to be slightly distracted with the sight of the only friend he still had left. Remus didn't look well at all. He hadn't looked well during the battle, particularly due to his injuries at Hirako's hand. His shoulder was bandaged up tightly. Madam Pomfrey had tried to heal it all the way but it appeared something about the injury wouldn't let her. Ichigo could only assume it was the reiatsu Hirako must have left on the wound repelling magical intervention. He would most likely have to heal naturally, or have healing kidou administered. Orion was tempted to request Hitsugaya or Matsumoto to do so, but felt it may be a little suspicious for two students who were "just learning" how to use kidou to do so.

"Would you care to introduce the newcomers?" Moody asked gruffly, looking at the Shinigami and Orion with both eyes. His magical eye disconcerted the Shinigami greatly. It was like the guy could see straight through them. Orion seemed the most concerned. He didn't know if Moody's magical eye could see through the spells that kept him from being recognized as Sirius.

Orion stepped up first to introduce himself. "Good evening. I'm Professor Orion Kuroba, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Professor Dumbledore offered me the chance to be a member of the Order of the Pheonix just recently and after yesterday's fiasco, I felt the need to accept." He said with a bright smile, hiding his slight worry about being found out. If there was any place that people may find out the truth about his identity, it would be here.

Hitsugaya went next, looking as calm and collected as ever. "I'm Toushirou Hitsugaya, a sixth year Gryffindor student like Harry and his friends. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." He said, bowing politely.

"Aren't you too young to be a sixth year?" Fred blurted out. "And what's with the white hair? You dye it?"

"Fred!" his mother called out in reprimand while Hitsugaya's eyebrows twitched. The other Shinigami visibly stepped back as they felt the air grow colder. All around them, the wizards were beginning to shiver, not knowing why the temperature had changed so drastically. Hermione was frowning inquisitively. This hadn't been the first time this sudden temperature change happened, and it was always when the transfer students were around. Were they causing it?

"Toushirou is what you can call a genius. He skipped several years due to his intelligence. He's on par with Hermione." Ichigo said, trying to calm the situation quickly before Hitsugaya froze someone.

"And my hair is natural, thank you. I've never dyed it." Hitsugaya said, crossing his arms.

"Someone's a little on the stiff side." George whispered to his twin.

"I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, also a Sixth year Gryffindor student." Matsumoto said cheerfully. She ignored some of the more disapproving looks she got from Mrs. Weasley and Hestia Jones for the way she wore her clothes. After all, who was she to care about what people thought about her? She had her Taichou and that was all that mattered.

Renji went up next, also receiving some dubious looks due to his tattoos and goon-like appearance. "I'm Renji Abarai, the same as the others." He said with a confident smile. He then backed off as Ichigo stepped up to introduce himself.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. It's nice to meet you." He said, bowing slightly.

The Order then introduced themselves and Mr. Weasley looked at his watch. "It's time to start the meeting. Kids, you stay here." He said. Then the Order went into the other room to discuss business. Fred and George went in as well, now that they were old enough to be in it.

The Shinigami then turned to the Golden Trio, Ginny, Neville and Luna.

"So… what do we do now?"

Okay… so in the next chapter, I intend for Ichigo to have a run-in with someone. Who do you think it should be:

Grimmjow (and if him… any ideas for how we can have him try something a bit more innovative than just trying to kill Ichigo? Perhaps something that'll force Shiro to ditch his torture-Umbridge scheme and come to his aid? This could go for Aizen too, I suppose)

Hirako

Death Eater offering him place in Voldemort's forces? (little shaky with that one)

Aizen

Also, I might do a chapter just to show what Shiro is doing with Umbridge… if there's anything you want him to do to her… feel free to suggest. Be as evil as you want… just as long as its within Shiro – and perhaps Peeves – capabilities.


	15. The Meeting

Chapter Fifteen

Here's the second part of the Order meeting. Shiro's interlude will be in the next chapter. I'll try to do Shiro's "Umbridge-torture" justice.

Hirako seemed to be the dominant choice for who Ichigo met, so I chose that one. Will save future Aizen/Grimmjow confrontations with Ichigo for later.

Special thanks again for **Ultramatt17**'s help with betaing the chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Chapter FifteenThe Meeting

Hermione stared closely at the four transfer students. There was something different about them and she couldn't just put it aside for the fact that they were from another country. Ever since the battle yesterday, she had started remembering and noticing the oddities that surrounded the transfer students.

For one, Matsumoto looked too old to be a Sixth year student. Not many people commented on it as most boys were enamored with her. There was also the fact that she vividly remembered Ichigo strangling Malfoy. But no one else seemed to remember, not even her friends. The only possible answer she could think of for that was that someone had modified their memories. But how did this happen without being caught on Professor Dumbledore's radar? Why did the Headmaster trust the Shinigami and Orion so much when there were so many things about them that just didn't add up? Just what were they hiding?

Hitsugaya turned and met her eyes, noting her calculating look. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "If there's something you want to ask us, Hermione, you might as well ask now." He said coolly, giving her a piercing look. The intelligent witch gave a start at that. She hadn't expected him to pick up on her thoughts so easily.

"Well… for one, would you mind explaining why no one remembers Ichigo losing control of his temper and nearly strangling Malfoy to death?" Hermione went straight down to business. Ichigo looked down with his eyes shadowed by his hair as Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny shot him shocked looks.

Hitsugaya's own expression didn't change at all. "So you remember… I should have figured that you of all people would overcome the effects of the Memory Modification." The Tenth Division Captain declared. Hermione looked even more determined to know what was going on.

"So, Ichigo really did try to kill Malfoy?" Ginny asked stunned. "But why?"

"Malfoy said I couldn't protect my mother." Ichigo said solemnly.

"I can understand that could upset you, Ichigo, but that's not enough reason to try to kill someone." Neville said, sounding puzzled.

"My mother's dead." Ichigo said sharply. "She was killed protecting me when I was still young. My name means 'one who protects completely'. The one I had wanted to protect was her… and I failed. Now do you understand why I reacted the way I did?" Silence followed his admission as everyone stared at him. Hermione suddenly felt bad for bringing up such a sore topic. Ichigo turned and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Ron inquired, sounding concerned. Ichigo turned his head slightly.

"Sorry, but I need some time to myself." He declared and he left Grimmauld Place.

"Well, that went well." Harry said, a sarcastic hint to his tone. "You officially drove Ichigo away."

"I didn't know this ordeal had been so upsetting for him." Hermione said, looking down and rubbing her arm uncomfortably.

"He was set off so badly that he nearly killed someone, Hermione. It's bound to be upsetting." Ron shot back.

"But still… this doesn't explain why our memories were modified." Neville said.

"Professor Dumbledore thought it would be the best course of action. Particularly with that horrible Umbridge woman around." Matsumoto stated.

"I guess that makes sense." Luna said with a small nod.

"Anyways… what's going on in the meeting? Reckon someone will tell us what they talked about?" Harry asked curiously.

"Maybe Fred or George would… if Mom or Dad didn't catch them first." Ron said thoughtfully.

"You all know that yesterday's battle was far from the normal ordeal." Professor Dumbledore declared, looking as calm as ever. "And we all know why." With a wave of his wand, he created miniature images of the two "rogue" Vizards, the nine hooded figures and the three Espada on the table that the Order members were surrounding. "Would anyone like to try explaining what's so special about them?"

Remus stepped up, pointing his wands at the images and making the Vizards, Shinigami and Espada stand out. "These ten appeared to prefer using blades as their main weapons, like we use our wands. These blades seem to be able to channel their magic through it to cause even more damage." He said, thinking about whatever dark energy that had coursed off Hirako's blade that prevented other magic from being used on his wound to heal it.

"There are differences even amongst these ten. Care to try to find out what those differences are?" Dumbledore pressed harder. He wanted to know just how much the Order knew about the Shinigami, Ryoka, Vizards and Espada now.

Tonks separated Hirako, Hiyori and Ichigo from the ten selected. "These three wear strange masks over their faces, and their eyes… They're just not human." They all looked to see the black sclera all three had. The only difference was Ichigo's, or rather, Shiro's eyes were golden instead of brown. "They're also significantly more powerful than those hooded warriors who just used their swords… except for maybe the ice wielder. He seemed to be on a level all his own. Only the golden-eyed masked warrior appeared to be on our side."

"But can he really be considered an ally? I mean, he's just like those other two." Mundungus asked, earning a sharp look from Orion.

"You don't judge Remus for what other werewolves did, do you?" he said, looking rather determined. "So, how can you judge this man for what the other two did?"

Many of the Order members were surprised by Orion's vehemence, but they accepted his reasoning. Professor Dumbledore himself looked rather pleased with what Orion said. He paid close attention to how familiarly Orion had spoke of Remus… like he knew him all of his life. Moody's eyes gleamed in the background, as if something he'd been suspecting had been confirmed at that moment. Snape just snorted in the background. Like that one statement would change his opinion about Ichigo.

Ichigo was wandering around the darkened streets, his mood seriously fouled by the conversation that had happened in Grimmauld Place. He'd settled in a nearby playground, sitting on one of the swings, brooding. "Damn it… I'd hoped they wouldn't have remembered…" he muttered under his breath, sighing in frustration.

"Yare, yare… such a pathetic look on your face." An amused voice called out and Ichigo stiffened.

"Who's there?" he demanded, looking about in search of the one who'd spoke.

"You still suck at using that ridiculous reiatsu of yours." Hirako declared as he walked out of the shadows. Ichigo glared at him.

"What are you doing here? Wouldn't the Death Eaters get suspicious of you going off like this?" he asked.

"No. Most of them are off on their own random missions right now. There's no threat. I just figured you would want to know what is happening on our front, considering yesterday's battle." Hirako said. Ichigo relaxed slightly.

"Yesterday shook things up pretty well. Your presence… and eventually the presence of the Espada, forced us to come out and it's led to some pretty serious discussions." Ichigo declared. "As 'kids', we're not allowed into the meeting. But I can tell you one thing, they're not discussing the Death Eaters."

Hirako smirked. "As would be expected. The so-called 'Dark Lord' is furious with what happened yesterday. He wants to discover who you all are and it is to no surprise that he's most interested in you for demonstrating your own Vizard abilities. He asked if we knew who you were. Of course, we denied any connection to you… but now he wants to recruit you. He's given that to us as a mission. Keeping his faith in us will prove difficult because we all know that you will not join."

Ichigo looked thoughtful. "We're going to have to think this over. We'll most likely have to stage this proposal for all to see… therefore, he'll see my refusal loud and clear." Hirako agreed.

"It does seem like the best course of action but you know by doing so, you will set yourself up as a target he will inevitably try to eliminate." The blonde said, sounding solemn. Ichigo smirked.

"He wouldn't be the first to try. Let him attempt to end the interference we play in his plans, it won't work." The 5th Division Captain stated boldly. Hirako just shook his head.

"I had a feeling you would say that, Kurosaki. Just know… this means we can't hold back in our upcoming confrontations then… if we're going to keep this deception going." Hirako said, his eyes growing serious.

"Then we'll go at each other with every ounce of strength we have… just as long as Grimmjow doesn't interfere." Ichigo added the last part as an afterthought.

"If he tries to interfere… we'll just have to force him back, won't we?" the unofficial leader of the Vizards smirked. "See you later, Kurosaki." Hirako then vanished, returning to where he was supposed to be.

Ichigo stood up, feeling slightly better for some reason. Hirako had definitely made him forget that which he'd been brooding upon.

As he returned to the house, he found that the adults were out and they were currently telling off Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna for having participated in the battle the day before.

"That was incredibly reckless of all of you. Did you honestly think you stood a chance against all of those Death Eaters? You're still children! You couldn't possibly have lasted very long if it hadn't been for those hooded warriors popping up and distracting everyone from you!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, looking absolutely red with anger. "Do you know how scared we all were about you?"

"You couldn't expect us to just sit there and watch you all risk your life like that. You were outnumbered and you knew it!" Harry argued, strongly believing that they had done the right thing.

"That doesn't mean you go and try to throw your life away trying to help. You nearly died at Lucius Malfoy's hands if it hadn't been for that hooded wizard." Mr. Weasley exclaimed. Harry tried to argue but the fact was… he really did escape death barely the day before. Not that he hadn't already had several near death experiences.

"Come on, Mom. We've already gone through things like this countless times. It's not like we haven't faced danger before." Ron argued, earning a disapproving glare from his parents.

"Not helping." Ginny hissed quietly.

"Come now… you don't have to make such a big deal out of it." Orion said. "They were only trying to help. They're nearly adults at this point anyways."

"But they aren't yet, are they?" Mrs. Weasley retorted. "They're risking their lives unnecessarily and I just don't want them to get hurt."

"They proved themselves well enough in yesterday's battle." Orion said. "They fended off quite a few Death Eaters, didn't they? They handled themselves well at the Department of Mysteries as well."

"How would you know? You weren't there for either battle!" the matriarch of the Weasley family exclaimed indignantly. Orion wanted to argue, but he realized that no one here save the Shinigami knew that he'd been present at both battles. Arguing any more would risk his identity even more, so Orion reluctantly backed down.

"Relax, Mom. It's done with now. There's no point in making a big deal out of it. We all know that no matter what you say, they're going to throw themselves headfirst into the situation." Fred said, sounding completely nonchalant about it. This earned him a disapproving look from his mother.

But everyone noted that she had a point.

"Look, we know you all want to help us out but it's dangerous. If you are going to fight, at least stay close to us." Remus said, ignoring the disbelieving look he got from Mrs. Weasley and the smirk that appeared on Orion's face.

The other Order members agreed that it was the best course of action for the stubborn teenage wizards, even Mrs. Weasley after the others convinced her. The meeting appeared to be done with for the time and so everyone prepared to leave, but Moody decided he wanted to talk to Orion.

Orion stiffened slightly but conceded to Moody's request and entered another room with him. "That was quite the tale you spun during the meeting, Orion Kuroba… or should I say, Sirius Black?" the retired Auror said, smirking at the stunned look on Orion's face. Orion's mind raced as he tried to find a way to refute Moody's discovery, but he realized it was futile trying to make the war-wizened wizard believe he was someone he wasn't. So, he dropped the act.

"How long have you known?" Orion asked, using his real voice again.

"From the moment you arrived here." Moody said. "Your disguise didn't fool my eye." Orion smirked.

"I should have known." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"So… are you going to explain why you're not dead like everyone believes?" Moody inquired, crossing his arms. Orion remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Not here or right now. There are too many chances that we could be overheard. If you want the full story, there will be others who will need to be involved." The former Marauder said.

"Your charges, no doubt. They're quite peculiar in their own right. They were the warriors from yesterday, weren't they?" Moody deduced. Orion nodded.

"We'll meet up in a few days at the Hog's Head. I'll bring them with me and we'll give you the full story… I only ask you tell no one else of what you've discovered. "Albus knows of my charges' involvement, but he doesn't know that I am Sirius, and I'd like to keep it that way. For now, at least." Orion pleaded. Moody nodded.

"I'll do as you say. Your explanation better be good, though." The ex-Auror said before they left the room together.

"What did he want?" Hitsugaya asked Orion quietly as they arrived back in Dumbledore's office (when Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna had been escorted back to their dorms).

"He's figured us out. We're arranging a meeting to sort everything out. Trust me, there's no fooling this man. Telling him would be our best course of action." Orion stated.

"If you say so… we'll trust your judgement." Ichigo said with a nod. "Now let's go back."

As the Shinigami headed back to the Gryffindor Tower, Ichigo called Shiro back. The Hollow returned a little reluctantly.

'_Had fun?_' Ichigo asked the almost frighteningly pleased Hollow.

_Yeah… Just wait until you see that toad in the morning._ Shiro grinned mischievously. Ichigo couldn't help but feel Shiro's glee was a little contagious.

'_I'll hold you to that._' Ichigo said as they headed off for bed.

I'm also beginning to formulate how Harry and co will eventually find out about the Shinigami's secret (not the Order). But how Orion is figured out as Sirius totally is still open (Remus/Moony (as in werewolf form)? Harry with Marauder's Map? Some other more exciting way?)

What do you guys think?


	16. Interlude

Interlude

Here's the Shiro pranking chapter. Hope you like it. May not be the best he could have done, but it was the best thing I could think of him doing at the moment.

**Wild dragon's breath**: Shiro and Ichigo's relationship would be that of very close comrades (I mean they are two sides of the same soul, ne?). Very protective of each other and I guess you could almost chalk it up to a sort of brotherly love kind of thing.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

Interlude

Shiro skulked through the hallways of Hogwarts, managing to keep out of sight from any person wandering the hallways, be it prefects, Professors, or students who thought themselves brave enough to be out after curfew.

'_Come on, ya lil toad. Where are ya?_' Shiro wondered, golden eyes scanning the area. He grinned as he found her lurking near Orion's office. '_Trying to investigate him while he's not around, are ya? Can't have that, now can I?_'

He sneaked up right behind her and blew hard on the back of her neck, causing her to jump, startled.

"Who's there?" she demanded to know, looking around but her eyes found no purchase. Shiro giggled to himself. This would be fun.

He then charged two small ceros and made them hit dangerously close to her feet, she jumped both times. Deciding he liked it, Shiro sent more ceros her way and Umbridge ended up doing some weird sort of jig. Shiro had to fight back the urge to howl with laughter. She looked damn funny like that… now to get her away from the office. Using the ceros, he forced her away from the office until she soon became so agitated by her mysterious assailant, she forgot all about her attempted investigation.

"I swear I'll have you expelled for this, whoever you are!" she cried out in her sickeningly high-pitched voice, causing Shiro to grin maniacally.

"_Like that's a threat, ya fat, ugly toad._" He let his voice come out, sounding like it was disembodied. He cackled out loud as she looked around frantically, seeming scared.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Shiro shook his head. He was faced with that question a lot, wasn't he?

"_Who am I? I'm nobody._" He responded gleefully, firing another small cero near her head. None of the ceros he shot would really cause any harm (Ichigo would kill him if he did), but they could cause a pretty nasty shock if they made contact. He was practically trembling with contained mirth as he saw her start trembling in a rather pathetic manner.

He sneaked up behind her and then let out a loud Hollow screech and she went tearing off through the corridors, screaming bloody murder.

"_Pathetic._" He said gleefully, banging his fist against the wall while he tried to gain control of his mirth.

"Looks like someone's having fun without me." A strange voice said and Shiro looked up to see Peeves floating nearby. Shiro knew of the Poltergeist's mischief making and an evil idea appeared in his mind. So he made himself visible to Peeves.

"_Yo… How about you and I team up to give the toad a hard time? I know you dislike her as much as I do._" Shiro said, looking down right wicked. Peeves seem to consider the idea before giving a wicked smile of his own.

"Sounds like a plan." The Poltergeist declared and he shook hands with the Hollow, sealing the deal.

They gave Umbridge a brief reprieve from the torture as they started making plans and setting up traps for her.

As Umbridge sat huddled in her bathroom, trying to regain her wits, Shiro concentrated his energy into a thin beam which he used to carve words into her mirror: _I can see you._

Umbridge screeched and slammed the door open, trying to leave the bathroom, only to get a bucket of mud fall on her, leaving her filthy. She then slipped on the ground, which had been covered generously with oil and bashed into the door of her office, sending a bucket of feathers over her.

Gagging and spitting up feathers, Umbridge looked around frantically.

"Who's there?!" she demanded, looking almost crazed.

"Nyaa… nyaa… the toad's become a chicken!" Peeves cackled, swooping down on Umbridge and dumping a lot of garbage all over her. "Now she's a dirty chicken!"

Umbridge looked nearly purple by now (if you could see her face through all the filth). "It's been you all this time?! Come back here!" she yelled, desiring revenge and following Peeves. Shiro materialized nearby, grinning.

"_This lady is way too predictable…_" he mused. "_King's got to let me do this more often…_'

Peeves led Umbridge out of the castle and made her run after him around the lake several times until she was exhausted (it didn't take long considering her rather heavy set form). "W-why (pant) won't you (pant) stay still?" she gasped, breathing heavily. Peeves just danced around her, dancing merrily.

"That's not how I play." He sniggered. "You look a little hot, toady. How about I cool you down some?" He tripped her and she screamed as she flew into the ice cold water of the lake.

After a few minutes, Umbridge stormed out of the water, looking like she was ready to burst out of anger. "You'll pay for this, you… you…" she sputtered, her eyes virtually bugging out. Peeves didn't look worried as he was leering at something behind her.

"I'd look around if I were you." He sang and she stiffened. Slowly, Umbridge turned around to a horrible sight.

In front of her was someone with bleached white skin, snow white hair and the most horrifying golden eyes with black sclera. He looked absolutely crazed as he made a horrible face at her, his blue tongue moving about in an obscene manner.

"_Boo._" Shiro said with a wicked grin. He nearly broke into a fit hearing Umbridge's scream as she ran back to the castle as if the demons of hell were nipping at her heels. He had no doubt that she was heading back to her room but she wouldn't know of the last trick Shiro had set up for her, something a bit longer lasting than the tricks he and Peeves had played on her already. Shiro turned to Peeves with a shit-eating grin. "_Nice working with ya._" He said, shaking hands with the Poltergeist.

"Let's do this again sometime." Peeves grinned as well.

"_Sounds like a plan._" Shiro agreed before his attention was directed to the arrival of a very familiar reiatsu. "_Seems I've gotta go. King will be missin' me. See ya around._" He then proceeded to vanish back into Ichigo's Inner World.

The next day, Ichigo found that his Hollow's glee was nearly contagious, and he was scaring quite a few people by actually smiling. They were all so used to his normal scowl that this just didn't sit well with them. He tried not smiling, but he found his mouth seemed almost permanently stuck that way.

'_What you did must be good if you're this energetic._' He told Shiro as they headed to the Great Hall.

_You'll see._ Shiro giggled.

"What's up with you, Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya asked as they settled down.

"I can't say." Ichigo said, lips twitching. "I think we'll find out soon enough though."

The other three Shinigami looked at each other with quizzical looks before shrugging. Ichigo always was a little weird.

When Umbridge entered the room, Ichigo discovered why Shiro had been so happy. Laughter from all sides of the Great Hall filled the air.

Umbridge was _multi-colored_ and the colors were moving around her body, like they were dancing almost. The colors were hardly pretty either, more earth-based, making her look more like the toad she resembled so much. The look on her face made it all the better. She looked beyond mad and those who looked closely could see she was trembling with her attempts to reign in her anger and try to keep what little dignity she had left.

'Y_ou did this all by yourself?_' Ichigo asked his Hollow, who smirked.

_I had a little help from a Poltergeist._ he admitted. _So, what do you say? Think I distracted her enough?_

'_I think you did more than that._' Ichigo said amused. '_I think you made her lose her mind._'

_Not like that's a big loss now, is it?_ Shiro said cheekily and Ichigo laughed out loud.

'_I owe you for this one._' He said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. He hadn't laughed like this in ages.

_Nah, just think of this as a favor I was more than willing to do._ Shiro said with a wide grin.


	17. Meeting with Moody

--

Sorry it took me longer than normal to get this chapter done. I had a Stats test to worry over (and even though I still studied as hard as I could, I still got a B). It's not that bad to me… but I got my head chewed off by my ma… Won't be satisfied with anything _but_ an A (and a high one at that).

Okay, I won't vent anymore. ;. This chapter's not as long as I hoped but I'd been debating on how much Harry, Ron and Hermione would find out and I thought perhaps it was too early. I'll have them get more of an inkling after Ichigo and Hirako's dramatic 'conflict.' I'll need to start showing more of Aizen's plot, won't I?

**TaleWeaver:** Yeah, I did have fun. I think I held back some but it seems everybody enjoyed her torment nonetheless. Glad everyone enjoyed it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. If I did, Sirius and Remus would have never died, Hitsugaya would see Hinamori as the annoyance she really is, and Umbridge would die a painful death.

--

Chapter SixteenMeeting with Moody

Hermione was trying to repent for her rather hurtful accusations by being as nice as possible, deciding to keep her suspicions to herself. She could tell by bringing up that one incident in DADA had really hurt Ichigo, and it showed through his somewhat withdrawn attitude.

At the same time, Orion and the Shinigami were trying to decide just how much they would tell Moody about their mission.

"There's no way we can deter him or even erase his memory. He'd find out all over again. I say we tell him everything. He'd be a valuable ally to us." Orion declared, nodding definitively.

"He won't tell anyone else, would he?" Hitsugaya asked, sounding reserved.

"You don't have to worry about that. If there's anyone you can trust almost as much as Albus, it's Moody." Orion said confidently.

"We'll take your word for it." Renji remarked.

"Luckily, it seems we won't have to worry about Umbridge. Albus and Snape are still trying to get her to calm down. She's downright traumatized and talking absolute nonsense about some white demon attacking her." Orion said. The group eyed Ichigo, who looked absolutely unrepentant.

"She had it coming and you know it." Ichigo said. They all looked at each other and conceded to that fact.

"The biggest issue would be to keep Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the loop. They're suspicious enough as it is." Matsumoto stated. "They've stopped the accusations because of Hermione forgetting her tact when addressing Ichigo's sensitive point, but that period of calm will fade away soon enough."

"Just tell them that I'm taking you out for the night. As your 'guardian', I've got the right to do so, right?" Orion suggested.

"I guess that's the best we can do for the time being." Hitsugaya remarked. "Ishida, Inoue, Kuchiki and Sado know to come as well. They've arranged their break during that time period, so there will be no trouble on that end.

"Then everything is settled." Orion said and they went their separate ways.

Ichigo had something else on his mind, however. He knew that the next battle would hold particular importance to him. Hirako would make his proposal and their act would begin. He could only hope the Espada wouldn't interfere in that battle, so he could focus solely on Hirako. They'd have to make it a big performance too, to get Ichigo's message across to Voldemort. He silently hoped the repercussions wouldn't be too harmful for his two Vizard companions. He didn't like the idea of people getting hurt because of him.

"Professor Kuroba is taking you out to Hogsmeade? You're so lucky." Ron said enviously.

"He said that it was a pity that we hadn't got to see the real beauty of the village due to the attack, so he wanted us to see it in a more peaceful setting." Hitsugaya said smoothly.

"I guess that makes sense, considering that had been your very first visit to Hogsmeade." Harry remarked. "Have fun."

Only Hermione felt the need to silently question their mysterious reasons for going to Hogsmeade. She felt that there was more to the situation than just that.

Later that night, she met with Harry and Ron in the Common Room, after ensuring the exchange students were asleep.

"I think there's more to their visit to Hogsmeade than just recreational purposes." She said. "I mean, why go now when there's obviously going to be other Hogsmeade trips to look forward to? I think something's up with them."

"What's with you, Hermione? Ever since that attack, you've become particularly suspicious of them. They're not bad people." Ron said.

"We thought the same thing with the guy who pretended to be Moody." Harry pointed out. "I think we should at least try to find out if their reason for leaving is legit or not. We can follow them with the Invisibility Cloak when they head off on Friday."

On Friday, the Shinigami left for Orion's office at 6:00 P.M. They didn't realize that they were being followed by the Golden trio.

"Moody is already waiting for us at the Hog's Head. We should head over there as soon as possible." Orion declared and he led them to the secret passage that led to the Hogsmeade basement. "_Dissendium._" He said, waving his wand. The statue shifted to reveal the opening to the passage way and they headed inside.

"So they're not just going for recreation. They're meeting Moody… but why would they lie about that?" Harry wondered with a small frown before they followed.

"It must be something important." Ron mused. "Are you sure we should follow?"

"I say we do. I want to solve the mystery behind these transfer students more than anything." Hermione said, determined.

They had lost sight of the exchange students and their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but they knew where they were headed, so they weren't so worried.

"Wait, if they're going to see Moody, we'll have a little problem. Moody can see through invisibility cloaks, remember?" Harry stated.

"We'll just have to stay a good distance away so he won't have an opportunity to notice us." Hermione said.

When Orion and the Shinigami entered the Hog's Head, they found Moody eyeing Ishida, Orihime, Chad and Rukia suspiciously, although he recognized them from the battle.

"I see you've already met our allies." Orion remarked as they all sat down. "I think introductions are in order, proper ones."

"I think that would be best." Moody agreed. "Just hold on a moment." He quickly cast a spell to make sure that no one else could overhear their conversation.

"I can't hear anything they're saying!" Harry whispered in frustration, seeing their lips moving but not hearing what they were saying.

"They're being very careful about this meeting." Hermione remarked. "Now I know for sure that there is something up with the exchange students, and with their friends too!"

"I'm Uryu Ishida, a Quincy. A Quincy is a human with the ability to gather spirit particles and make arrows out of them, to destroy evil spirits." The glasses-wearing boy introduced himself, explaining the nature of his abilities.

"I'm Orihime Inoue, it's nice to meet you." The red-haired girl said happily. "My abilities have the ability to reject influence from outside forces, in a manner of speaking. My Koten Zasshun can cleave something in half, depending on how powerful the opponent is. It's my only offensive shield. My Santen Kesshun can protect me and others from attacks. Lastly, my Soten Kesshun can reject any harm that's been caused to someone within the shield. That's the powers of my Shun Shun Rikka."

"I'm Yasutora Sado, but you can call me Chad. My abilities resemble those of the fallen souls that we purify on a regular basis. They're called Hollows. My right arm is mostly defensive and my left holds most of my offensive power. However, I'll refrain from using my left unless absolutely necessary." The large boy said.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami, or Soul Reaper." The noble introduced herself. "I'm not a seated officer, unlike the other Shinigami here, but I'm just as capable."

"How about you explain everything so we're on the same page?" Moody asked and the group quickly explained the situation to Moody.

"So you've come to deal with the Dark Lord because he's violated your laws?" the ex-Auror stated.

"That's right. We had been mostly ignorant of the magic world until we found Sirius walking through Rukon District with his Chain of Fate still connected to the other side. When we brought him within the Court of Pure Souls, or Seireitei, he explained how he'd come to be there and what was going on where he came from. Further research showed us that your Dark Lord has gravely violated our laws by severing his soul and we need to take action before his actions result in disaster." Hitsugaya declared. "Now that you know, I request you to keep your silence about this and not inform the Order. It would compromise our mission greatly. It works better for our origins and real abilities to be unknown."

"I can understand that. Trust me, I'll keep mum." Moody said gruffly. "Just make sure to keep me in the loop and I'll fill you in on information that the Order may not yet be ready to tell a 'newcomer.'"

"I knew getting you into the fold would be a good idea." Orion smiled, as he shook Moody's hand, sealing the deal. They stood up, done with the discussion for now.

"We were here the entire time and we couldn't find out a single thing about what they were talking about because of that stupid spell." Ron muttered, frustrated. "Well, this was a useless venture."

"Not quite. At least we know for sure that they're up to something that they're not willing to tell anyone." Hermione remarked. "Do you reckon we should tell Dumbledore about this?"

"It wouldn't hurt." Harry said. "Let's wait a bit, though. It won't go in our favor if we go to him with only half-baked ideas."

"You've got a point there." Hermione conceded. "We'll wait until we can find out more about what they're doing."

I hope you liked the chapter. Sorry if it seems a little weak (though I hope it doesn't). I need some real Bleach material to inspire me… (these fillers aren't doing it.. but the latest one held some inspiration for me).

I was thinking that these interludes were a good little break from all the seriousness, no? I was pondering the possibility of doing another one sometime (possibly one with a karaoke thing of sorts, because those always amuse me; at least with the Bleach characters). Tell me what you guys think.


	18. Paperwork and Promises

Chapter Seventeen

Here's another chapter. Hopefully making up for me taking so long with the last one. I've been in an extreme Bleach mood lately so I almost instantly started working on this one after updating the last one.

You know, I really want to do a Bleach/YYH story but am way too rusty with YYH to do it by myself (at least until I get off my lazy ass and start watching that series again). I really want to see how Hitsugaya and Hiei would interact with each other… would be amusing.

**Juunigatsu4me**: sorry if the last chapter was a bit of a disappointment. I hope the future chapters will make up for it. So don't send Toushiro after me, lol.

**Nellchan0013**: you know something, I may just bring Nell in, she would provide some amusement, particularly with her fondness for Ichigo…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

--

Chapter SeventeenPaperwork and Promises

It was a relatively quiet day at Hogwarts, where most people were either completing homework they'd left off until the last minute, or they were hanging out with their friends wherever they pleased. The Shinigami on the other hand… had been forced to complete the large amount of paperwork that had started to accumulate during their stay at Hogwarts. Hitsugaya wouldn't let them put it aside anymore.

"This sucks." Ichigo grumbled, his perpetual scowl deepening.

"Quit complaining. It's not going to make it all disappear." Hitsugaya said, sounding remotely irritated.

Suddenly, there was the sound of shattering glass and Matsumoto's subsequent "Oops" that made everyone turn to her. Hitsugaya found his eyebrow beginning to twitch in annoyance. Matsumoto had dropped her inkwell, which had spilled all over her paperwork and her uniform.

"My bad." She sang, not sounding apologetic at all. "I guess you'll have to re-do all my paperwork for me, Taichou."

"Why won't you be doing it?" he asked through gritted teeth, his teal eyes sparking with frustration.

"I've got to clean up. You can't expect me to stay like this, do you?" Matsumoto said nonchalantly as she headed for the Girl's Dormitory.

"Now wait just a minute!" the ice dragon protested, trying to follow her to stop her. Unfortunately, the moment he attempted to climb the stairs to the girl's side, the stairs disappeared and Hitsugaya slipped down them. The girls who witnessed the entire ordeal giggled at Hitsugaya's misfortune. Matsumoto looked behind at him with a mischievous smile.

"If you wanted so badly to take a shower with me, Taichou, you could have asked." She said flirtatiously, winking. Hitsugaya went red out of both anger and embarrassment.

"MATSUMOTO!" he screamed out in frustration, a vein threatening to pop in his forehead.

Ichigo and Renji, more for self-preservation than anything, chose not to comment on the incident and chose to change the subject.

"Hey, it's such a nice day and all… do you reckon we could do our paperwork outside?" Renji suggested after a while, just wanting to get out of the Common Room.

"I like that idea." Ichigo agreed. "Anything to get out of here." Hitsugaya found himself agreeing as well. Perhaps it would help him cool down some.

So they all headed to the courtyard (Matsumoto included) with their paperwork. Matsumoto chose to completely ignore the paperwork yet again to play around, enjoying the atmosphere.

"So you guys decided to come out after all." Ron mused as he, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna approached them.

"We thought it was a bit of a pity to stay in there the entire time." Renji said with a smile.

"So what exactly are you doing?" Harry asked curiously, trying to make sense of th3e kanji he saw scrawled all over their paperwork.

"Some stuff for our old school. We still have some commitments there considering our rather impromptu transfer." Hitsugaya lied smoothly.

"Sounds like a bit of a chore." Ginny mused, looking at the number of papers. "How can you handle doing it?"

"When you have no choice but to do it, why ponder why you _don't_ want to do it?" Ichigo said, sounding a little dull.

"Seems like you've been at it for a while." Neville remarked, sounding sympathetic.

"You have no idea." Renji said dryly. He suddenly caught sight of a certain platinum blonde and groaned. "Here comes the Inquisitorial Squad…"

"What are you losers doing?" Malfoy sneered before eyeing the paperwork. "I'm not sure the High Inquisitor would like hearing of students, particularly you four, writing such… suspicious things." It was clear he was just making things up to pick a fight.

"They're just written in kanji, idiot. They're hardly suspicious." Hitsugaya said, irritation evident in his voice.

"So they're not important?" Malfoy said. "Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we got rid of them. _Incendio_."

The Shinigami, Golden trio, Neville, Luna and Ginny watched as Malfoy completely incinerated Hitsugaya's pile of paperwork, both complete and incomplete. The temperature severely dropped as the white-haired Captain finally snapped.

"I'd move away if I were you." Ichigo hissed as he, Renji, and Matsumoto began pulling the Gryffindors away from the enraged Tenth Division Captain.

"I may not like those arrogant idiots… but right now, I feel bad for them." Matsumoto mused.

"What are you going to do, small fry?" Malfoy taunted. "You even think of using your wand against us and we'll screw you over so bad you won't even be able to lay a foot in this school again."

"Then I just won't use my wand…" Hitsugaya growled, sounding very much like his draconian zanpakutou.

"Is it just me, or is it getting really cold?" Ginny asked through chattering teeth. Harry instantly lent his jacket to her, to give her extra warmth.

"The skies are looking pretty stormy too." Luna said dreamily. None of the wizards, save Hermione, suspected that Hitsugaya was the cause of the weather change.

"He's not going to kill them, is he?" Hermione asked, a little worried. She'd never seen Hitsugaya lose his cool before.

"He won't." Matsumoto assured her. '_But I can't promise they won't have frostbite._'

Hitsugaya raised his hands and concentrated his reiatsu into it, preparing the spell he intended to use.

"Bakudo 61: Rikujoukourou (Six staves of binding light)!" he called out and all the members of the Inquisitorial Squad were bound by six bands of yellow light, each. They were completely paralyzed.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Malfoy cried out in frustration, trying to move with little success. Hitsugaya shot a cold glare at him.

"Stay there like that." He said and he signaled for his companions to pick up their stuff and leave. His storm would stick around for a while and the Inquisitorial Squad would be stuck in the middle of it.

As the group took shelter back in the warmth of the castle, the wizards turned to Hitsugaya. "You know kidou up to _that_ level?" Hermione gaped. "Professor Aizen said it takes _years_ to get so good at it."

"Hitsugaya _is_ a genius." Ichigo remarked. "And remember, for us, kidou is normal magic."

"He's got a point there, 'Mione." Ron stated.

"You seem really good at it. Both you and Matsumoto." Neville remarked. Renji sucked crap at it and Ichigo just had difficulty learning. "Do you think you could teach us? It's hard to get while with the Slytherins. They're always distracting."

Hitsugaya, who was still in a bit of a foul mood, didn't answer, but Matsumoto did. "We'll think about it." She said… AKA ask when Hitsugaya was in a better mood.

"Well since we can't go outside, I'll finish all of this in the library." Ichigo decided, waving goodbye to the group.

He worked there for a while before he started stiffening up from working so long while remaining in that same position for so long. He suddenly felt a pair of slender ghostly white hands start massaging his shoulders. Sighing in relief, Ichigo relaxed against Shiro's pale form. He was thankful he was in a solitary corner of the library where no one could see him or his pale doppelganger. After a moment, he finally spoke.

"What do you want, Shiro?" he asked, knowing the Hollow was trying to win a favor. The Hollow pouted.

"_What? Can't I do a nice thing for my King once in a while?_' the albino inquired innocently. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Not without wanting something in return." The Fifth Division Captain remarked.

"_You're so mean, King._" Shiro whined, not stopping the massage. "_I just wanted to see if I could have one day in control of your body outside of battle._"

"Why?" Ichigo asked, sounding suspicious.

"_I just want ta see how life outside of the Inner World is like in __**this**__ place._" Shiro said.

"Didn't you already get a taste of that when I let you mess around with that ugly toad?" Ichigo asked with a small frown.

"_But that was when there was no one else around._" Shiro whined. "_I just want ta have a little fun, King. Can't ya let me have that much?_" Ichigo found that Shiro did have some points. He supposed the Hollow was getting a little restless.

"Fine." He conceded. "We'll test it out. However, if you freak out or someone finds out it isn't me in control, I'm taking over again."

"_That's fine with me!_" Shiro said more than eagerly.

"You can take over tomorrow." Ichigo said. "I could take a little break, I suppose."

"_That's the spirit._" Shiro grinned.

"What a heartwarming little exchange." A not-so-pleasant voice declared. Both Ichigo and Shiro turned around to see Aizen staring at them with a creepy smile on his face.

"_Whadya want? Jackass._" Shiro said sharply, stepping almost protectively in front of Ichigo. He was well aware that Aizen had less than savory plans for his King.

"Yare, yare… your Hollow is rather foul mouthed, Kurosaki-kun." Aizen stated mockingly. "You should think of putting a muzzle on him." The traitorous Shinigami reveled in how both Ichigo and Shiro bristled angrily at his words.

"I think you need it more than he does." Ichigo scowled, nevertheless, pulling Shiro back. He couldn't have his Hollow have a conflict with Aizen at the moment. It wasn't the right time or the proper opportunity. They weren't ready just yet.

"Such a defiant attitude." Aizen tutted. "That will change soon enough."

"Don't count on it." Ichigo and Shiro chorused together, frowning. Aizen's lips quirked up slightly with amusement.

"We'll see, won't we?" the ex-Shinigami declared and he walked off.

"_Ya should've let me fry him, King. It would let us get rid of one problem._" Shiro huffed, crossing his arms.

"Now's not exactly the right time, Shiro." Ichigo sighed. "It would blow our cover sky high." Shiro snorted in disgust.

"_Being undercover sucks._" He decided, crossing his arms.

"We'll have to bear with it, Shiro… just for a little while longer." Ichigo said. He hoped this entire thing wouldn't take too long. The longer they took, the longer the enemy had to make a counter strategy against them.


	19. Shiro's Day Out

Here's the latest chapter

Here's the latest chapter. Sorry it took so long. I had finals coming up and then my cousins were around at the same time, slowing down my writing process. Good news is, that time provided me a chance to think up some more ideas to bring everything in order. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

--

Chapter EighteenShiro's Day Out

_Remember King. I get control today._ Shiro sang, incredibly happy.

'_Yeah, yeah. I know._' Ichigo said, amused. '_Knock yourself out._'

Shiro woke up, hearing the normal bustle that meant everybody was getting ready for a day of classes. He quickly headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he saw that he still retained his Hollow eyes. He'd have to remedy that. The black sclera faded to white but he couldn't completely get rid of the golden eyes, so the eyes were amber. "_I guess this will have to do._" He said, making sure to talk like Ichigo.

"You ready to go, Ichigo?" Ron questioned and Shiro nodded.

"Today is going to suck." Harry said. "Double Potions with Snape." Shiro had to fight back a shit-eating grin. Tormenting Snape would definitely make his day.

"You know, Malfoy and his cronies caught a cold thanks to Hitsugaya's actions yesterday. They're still coming to class thanks to Madam Pomfrey, but it seems they're now aware not to get on Hitsugaya's bad side." Ginny said, a wide grin on her face.

"It's about time they got a clue." The ice prince said in a dismissive tone.

"So, Hitsugaya, did you consider our request?" Hermione inquired.

"I'm thinking about it." He said. "Just what do you hope to achieve by mastering kidou?"

"Last year, Harry taught a group of students Defense Against the Dark Arts because Professor Umbridge wasn't teaching us everything. With the threat of Voldemort hanging high over our heads, we didn't want to waste any time. Kidou seems to have a lot of practical purposes for battle. Being able to do it efficiently may help us out in times that we may need it." Hermione said.

"Sounds like a good idea." Renji mused. "Ever think of restarting your little club?"

"We're thinking about it." Harry said. "It would be really good if we could introduce other aspects to it. It may help out with our efficiency."

"It does sound promising." Matsumoto mused, eyeing her Captain. He sighed.

"Fine, we'll help out." Hitsugaya said. "However, you all better be willing to learn and do as we say."

"You don't have to worry about that." Hermione said.

"Looks like Umbridge got over whatever it was that traumatized her that one night." Neville remarked, seeing that Umbridge was back to her normal pompous self.

Shiro caught Umbridge's eye and a fearsome smirk appeared on his face. The High Inquisitor recoiled, disconcerted. He then caught both Snape and Dumbledore's eyes. Snape looked suspicious while the Headmaster just stared at the Hollow with twinkling eyes. He had a feeling they knew he wasn't Ichigo. Shrugging nonchalantly, Shiro focused on eating.

When they got to Potions, Shiro found Snape waiting for him. "Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you… Kurosaki." The Potions Master said, saying his name with a certain level of distaste. Shiro fought back a pout. He'd been hoping to torment Snape and the Slytherins during class. After Snape gave the class their assignment, he led Shiro off to the Headmaster's office.

"Where's the real Kurosaki?" Snape queried, eyeing the Hollow wearily.

"_Hmm…_" Shiro said, appearing as if he was considering Snape's question, his voice regaining its normal distorted quality. "_He's asleep within our Inner World… ya know the place we won't let you in._" Snape's glare darkened.

"Why are you in control?" the Potions Master interrogated.

"'_Cuz King let me._" Shiro said matter-of-factly. "_Staying inside his mind all the time gets dull after a while, ya know?_"

"Kurosaki must be a fool to let you have freedom." Snape sneered. Shiro shot him a venomous look.

"_How do ya think he got my cooperation?_" the Hollow sneered. "_We've gotten this far because we're meant to cooperate with each other. Shutting one side out would do more harm than good._ _'sides, I'm only dangerous to those who pose a threat to King._"

"Like Umbridge?" Snape questioned with raised eyebrows.

"_That was jus' a diversion to keep her off the tracks of your Order._" Shiro said, crossing his arms. "_I didn't cause any real harm. King wouldn't allow that._"

"Why do you call him King?" Snape asked.

"_What is this, 20 Questions?_" Shiro asked sarcastically. "_And ain't it obvious? He's lord and master of our body, thus, he's King._"

"Who are you?" Snape inquired.

"_King gave me the name, Shirosaki Hichigo. It's not very original but I'm happy ta get a name._" the Hollow stated. "_Did you satisfy your curiosity now?_"

"Almost." Snape said. "The rest can be addressed with the Headmaster. Cockroach Clusters." The gargoyle moved aside and they started making their way into Dumbledore's office.

"Good morning." Professor Dumbledore greeted the two.

"_So what did ya want?_" Shiro asked, sitting down without showing proper respect. The Headmaster didn't seem to mind, however.

"I was curious to know why you've taken Mr. Kurosaki's place, Mr…?" Professor Dumbledore inquired.

"_It's Shirosaki._" The Hollow inserted. "_And I have control 'cuz I was sick of being kept inside for so long back home, King always let me have control at least twice a week._"

"Ah, I see. So the constraints given by this mission have agitated you. No harm done them." Dumbledore said merrily.

"You're honestly going to let this… thing… in control, are you?" Snape asked in alarm.

"_Watch what you say, human._" Shiro hissed. "_I hope you know my kind __**consume**__ human souls to survive. Don't tempt me to go after yours._" Shiro took pride in seeing Snape pale.

"Now, now. It's not the time for threats. If you really needed to consume souls for survival, Mr. Shirosaki, I'm certain you would have already done so." The Headmaster said. "And I have full faith in Mr. Kurosaki's judgement, Severus. If he thought it safe to let Mr. Shirosaki out for the day, than I believe him."

"Shirosaki could be lying." Snape said distrustfully.

"There is that." Professor Dumbledore conceded. "In order to be sure, would you let us talk to Mr. Kurosaki, Mr. Shirosaki?"

"_Fine._" Shiro said. "_He won't be happy to be woken up, though._"

Slowly, Ichigo's entire demeanor seemed to change. His legs fell off Dumbledore's desk and he slumped forward, showing that he was asleep. Shiro materialized behind him, translucent.

"_Oi, King. The Yamamoto-wannabe and the annoying snake wanna talk to ya._" Shiro said, jostling the slumbering Shinigami awake.

"Nani?" Ichigo asked groggily, not alert enough to switch to English just yet. As he processed what his Hollow said, he straightened up. "So… what do you want to know?"

"Did you willingly give control to your… other half?" the Headmaster inquired. Ichigo nodded.

"He needed a little freedom and I needed a break, so I let him have a day for himself." Ichigo explained. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"No you didn't. Your reasons are completely justified. Just make sure no one finds out. It would be troublesome if the students found you had such a volatile other personality." Professor Dumbledore stated.

"He'll be careful, won't you Shiro?" Ichigo asked his Hollow.

"_I'll be good._" Shiro promised. "_No one will be able ta tell that I'm not you._"

"Well, there you have it, Severus." Dumbledore said. "They won't cause any harm."

"Yet." Snape said. "I told you how the Dark Lord intends to try recruiting him." Snape looked at Ichigo, trying to gauge his reaction. He was surprised by the lack of reaction. That would mean… "You know the Dark Lord is interested in you. How?"

"Let's just say.. the groups at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade aren't my only allies. I have a source to inform me of what your Dark Lord is up to." Ichigo said, staring straight at Snape.

"Care to enlighten us?" Snape questioned.

"Not particularly." Ichigo said defiantly. "You'll find out in time." Snape was about to say more but Professor Dumbledore stopped him.

"That is enough, Severus. Mr. Kurosaki has never given us any inclination that he supports Tom's side of the war. He's here to stop him after all." The aged wizard declared. "I'm sorry to have kept you so long, Mr. Kurosaki. As it is pointless for you both to return to your Potions class when it is already half way done, I'm giving you permission to spend the time as you like until your next class period."

"Thanks." Both Ichigo and Shiro chorused, standing up and walking away. Shiro faded as he retook control of the body.

"There's definitely more to Mr. Kurosaki than what meets the eye, wouldn't you say?" Dumbledore asked Snape, his eyes twinkling. Snape snorted.

"The question is, just what is it that he's got hidden in there? Save for his dangerous other personality." The Potions Master said. "It makes my skin crawl."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." The Headmaster declared.

Shiro was walking down the hallways leisurely when he felt someone approaching him. He smirked as he turned to greet Peeves, who had been approaching him.

"Out of class, carrot-top? The professors wouldn't like that." He sang mischievously before he noticed the familiar black and gold eyes of his one time co-conspirator. Then an evil grin appeared on his face. "Surprise, surprise. How I didn't know that the most fun person in this school is actually Mr. Frowny Pants is beyond me."

"_King can get pretty surly, can't he?_" Shiro grinned, looking mischievous.

Shiro and Peeves spent the remaining time plotting ways to terrorize Umbridge and her team of 'suck-ups' before it was time for Shiro to head over to lunch.

"Where were you this entire time, Ichigo?" Ron asked, looking curious.

"_Snape was acting like an overly suspicious bastard and thinking that I had something to do with Umbridge's ordeal all that while ago._" Shiro snorted. "_Professor Dumbledore set him straight though._"

"It took that long?" Hermione asked with a frown. Shiro shook his head.

"_Nah. He let me have a free period afterwards as he claimed it was useless to go into the class that was already half-way finished._" The Hollow stated with a dismissive wave.

"That was nice of him." Ginny mused.

"It's Dumbledore." Harry said. "I can see him doing that."

During Transfiguration, Shiro could tell that McGonagall was taking extra care to watch over him. He figured she'd been alerted about him being in control. He couldn't help but pout. There would be no fun for him in this class. He wouldn't dare get Ichigo in trouble with such a strict teacher. At least she wasn't a bastard like Snape.

It was during Aizen's class that Shiro couldn't help but assert some of his personality points over Ichigo's. He seemed to emit an even more dangerous aura than Ichigo did, which made those around him wary of him while Hitsugaya was frowning in disapproval. He didn't want it to become too obvious that Ichigo/Shiro held more disdain for their professor than most people would think. Fortunately, the only out-of-the-norm thing that Shiro did was perform kidou perfectly against a very surprised Malfoy, leaving him singed. "_Hope it helps your cold some._" He said with a shit-eating grin on his face. He reveled in the snickers he heard coming from his fellow classmates, even Renji and Matsumoto. Hitsugaya just hung his head in his hands like he was ashamed to call the Vizard his friend.

As they left the class, Shiro sent a challenging look at Aizen. His dislike for the bastard had grown now that he was quite aware of Aizen having unsavory plans for his King. He wanted to assert the fact that the traitorous Shinigami would never get a hold of them. Not while he was around anyways.

'_Enjoy your day out in the open?_' Ichigo asked as they settled down for bed that night.

_It wasn't so bad. Although being forced to go to the old man's office was a bit of a disappointment._ Shiro said. _When can I come out again?_

'_We'll see, Shiro. It all depends on what goes on._' Ichigo said as they drifted off. They didn't notice that the already slumbering Harry was beginning to toss and turn, in the throes of a nightmare…

/_ "The old fool is getting too confident." Voldemort snarled, crossing his arms. "We need to shatter that hope that he's been building in those who follow the Light… I think it's time we show them that Hogwarts, supposedly the safest place of all, isn't so safe anymore…"_/

I've also been developing an idea for a Bleach/Digimon Tamers story. May seem like an odd crossover but I _finally_ was able to find something that could link them together. It's still in the development stage but I hope it doesn't sound like an insane idea…

I'm also going to be going to Brazil for vacation at the end of the week, so it may be a bit before the next chapter comes out. But I'll hopefully be able to bring some writing utensils with me during the trip and I'll write up as much as I can so that when I come back, I can update as fast as I can.


	20. On Guard

I'm finally back from vacation. I'm personally happy to be back in a place where people actually speak and understand English. While there were a fair few Brazilian people who spoke English, it was still hard to find them. I had some pretty interesting experiences trying to get my point across. It was beautiful though, and I did get to write a lot.

**WeiRen**: thanks for the compliment, glad you like it.

**Blackmedelninjan**: This story takes place after the war, where I basically implied Ichigo and Shiro made a truce which ended in a friendship. I'm leaving it open how that came to be. I happen to like it when Shiro is loyal, although playing with his slight insanity would be fun. Will be doing that in Digital Spirits I suppose.

**Nataeiy1**: I'm going to update Lost Memories hopefully soon. Finally got the lil inspiration thing I needed for it when I was in Brazil.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

--

Chapter NineteenOn Guard

Harry woke up with his scar burning on his forehead. He found himself being shaken vigorously by Ron with Neville, Ichigo, Renji and Hitsugaya surrounding them both. They all looked worried.

"What's wrong Harry?" Ron inquired, noticing his best mate's panic-stricken face.

"I need to see Dumbledore. Quickly." Harry said. He needed to tell the Headmaster what he'd seen before he forgot.

Minutes later, Harry, Ron, Neville, Ichigo, Renji, Hitsugaya, Hermione, Ginny and Matsumoto were in Professor Dumbledore's office alongside Professor McGonagall and Orion. The girls had been called in as they knew they'd be interested.

"Why are they here?" Ron asked bluntly about the transfer students and Orion.

"They've become as involved in this fight as all of you have." said Professor Dumbledore. "They have as much a right as you." This peaked the Golden Trio's suspicions. Here was yet another sign pointing to there being something strange about the Japanese transfers.

"So what did you see?" queried the Headmaster.

"Voldemort was talking about you getting too relaxed. He wants to show you that Hogwarts isn't as safe as it seems." Harry said, noting that Dumbledore's eyes turned serious, losing their normal twinkle.

"If what you say is true… then I fear we'll be dealing with a major problem soon enough." The Headmaster said. Ichigo was in a rather pensive mood. He knew if this confrontation took place, his and Shinji's "performance" would be then.

_Are you ready for this, King?_ Shiro inquired, serious for once.

**This could put even your identity at risk if your mask is shattered.** warned Zangetsu.

'_I don't think Hirako would go that far in our battle._' Ichigo stated. The other Vizard doing that would completely contradict what they were trying to do.

**Be weary for unplanned incidences.** Zangetsu advised.

"What are you going to do, Albus?" McGonagall questioned, sounding worried.

"Knowing Tom, he won't take too long before he attacks. It could be within the next few days. I can't put the students in danger but returning them to their homes may alert the Dark Lord to the fact that we're aware of his plans and he may find out that he has a spy in his midst, even if it wasn't Severus we discovered this information from." Professor Dumbledore declared. "Therefore, for the time being, I'm putting the school under lockdown. The students will eat, sleep, and learn within the confines of their own dormitories. The teachers will be put on high alert and I will have members of the Order guarding the outer borders of the school." declared the Headmaster.

The Shinigami exchanged looks. The Headmaster definitely regarded Harry's dreams in a very serious manner. Orion was more concerned about Harry, though. He knew that whenever Harry had a dream about Voldemort, his scar bothered him greatly. He wanted to ask how he felt but thought it may seem odd for him, who was barely an acquaintance outside of class, to ask him something that only those really close to Harry knew.

"I believe I've kept you awake long enough." The Headmaster stated. "Harry, I suggest you spend the night in the Hospital Wing. Poppy will give you a Dreamless Sleep potion. Mr. Kurosaki, I'd like to request you and your friends stay back for a moment. I have something to discuss with the lot of you."

Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione and Ginny gave the transfer students curious looks before they left. Once Dumbledore was certain that the five students were gone, he turned to the Shinigami. "I trust you will be putting your efforts into protecting the school as well?"

"Of course." said Hitsugaya. "Losing this place as a stronghold is far too high a price. We will be alerting our other allies as well."

"Umbridge will pose a problem to our plans to keep the school in lockdown." McGonagall said. Ichigo smirked.

"I've got her covered." declared the Vizard. The four Shinigami swallowed their gikongan and entered their Shinigami forms, which still kept the adjustments Orion had made for them. it was best they took on their posts now instead of having to dodge teachers when the lockdown was enforced.

Ichigo grabbed Kon by the collar and glared at him warningly. "You better keep my body safe or I swear there will be hell to pay." The last thing the Fifth Division Captain was for his body to be destroyed when it was out of his sight. Then he would really be dead.

After letting the konpaku go, the four Shinigami shunpoed out of the castle and perched themselves on the four towers of the castle. "These next few days are going to take forever." Renji decided.

The next day, Harry was escorted back to the Gryffindor Tower by Aizen.

"You must have had quite a long night." Aizen mused. "And now the school is in lockdown… seems like there's going to be something big going on, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah…" whispered Harry, looking down. Ever since Ichigo and the other transfer students had voiced their opinion of Aizen, Harry had been paying more attention to him and found that he had to agree: there was something strange about the Eastern Magic professor. It left him rather uneasy.

'H_e's weary of me._' Aizen thought as he took Harry into the Common Room. '_It seems I've lost one of my potential new Espada. A pity, but not a major loss. I still have the chance to grab the rogue knight…_' He glanced up, knowing Ichigo was guarding the Gryffindor Tower. He also knew it was the reason all of the Gryffindors seemed so secure even in such a situation. They could unconsciously feel Ichigo's rampant reiatsu surrounding them, acting like a security blanket. They knew they were safe… for now.

Harry noticed that Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were eyeing the four transfer students oddly.

"What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"The four of them have been acting strangely since they returned from Dumbledore's office." Ginny said. "Take a look for yourself."

Harry observed their Japanese friends and could almost instantly see what the issue was. They were visibly acting out of character.

Ichigo had a big goofy smile on his face as he ogled all the girls; some looked rather uncomfortable while others seemed to encourage Ichigo's shameless behavior. After all, Ichigo wasn't exactly ugly.

Matsumoto was flirting shamelessly with any boy she came across (much to their pleasure). This was quite odd because normally she only flirted with Hitsugaya.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, was just plain docile, not even bothering to go off to fight for Matsumoto's honor like he did on an almost daily basis. He just sat there. Even his normally icy aura was missing.

Renji was almost hyper, bouncing off the walls gleefully and causing an overall ruckus.

"What on Earth is going on with them?" Harry gaped. "They're not even acting remotely like themselves."

"It makes me wonder if this is really them in the first place." Hermione said, crossing her arms and frowning. "There's something more to our new friends and it can't be passed off as something else anymore. Professor Dumbledore knows what's up with them too."

"How can it not be them? Considering current security, I doubt they could be imposters under the effects of the Polyjuice potion." Ron commented.

"You can't be so sure. Have you forgotten how Moody was impersonated?" Hermione pointed out. "Just check the Marauder's Map to be sure."

Harry went to retrieve the Map and when he returned, he and his friends circled around it. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." vowed the Boy-Who-Lived. The Map unveiled itself in front of them. They frowned at what they saw.

The four in front of them weren't their friends, after all. The names they saw were Kon, Yuki (Hitsugaya), Yuri (Matsumoto), and Inu (Renji).

"You were right." Ginny said, surprised. They were all pretty on guard at that point.

"Where are the real Ichigo, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Renji?" Neville asked, worried. They scanned the map to find a surprising answer. The four of them were still at Hogwarts, posted at each of the four towers. Ichigo, apparently, was right above them. none of them were moving, almost as if they were keeping guard.

Hermione continued to scan the map when her eyes came across a name that stunned her. "Harry, I think you need to see this."

Harry looked over curiously and his heart nearly stopped as he saw the name of the person in Professor Kuroba's office.

Sirius Black.

I didn't know what Renji's gikongan acted like so I improvised slightly. Sorry, if I was incorrect or if it's not to your satisfaction. I also made up the names for Hitsugaya, Matsumoto and Renji's gikongan.

Yuki snow (obvious, right?)

Yuri lily (thought another flower name would go well for Matsumoto)

Inu dog (decided to go with Renji's stray dog motif, a little literally I suppose)


	21. Growing Mysteries

I'm sorry it took a while to get this chapter up

I'm sorry it took a while to get this chapter up. School started and I was getting adjusted.

My apologies with being wrong about Renji's gikongan, but I suppose it works either way.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter, or Bleach.

--

Chapter TwentyGrowing Mysteries

Forgetting all about the mystery behind the transfer students and their strange doubles, Harry aimed to head out of the room to investigate.

"Wait!" Hermione explained. "Have you forgotten we're under lockdown, right now? We can't leave the Gryffindor Tower without getting in serious trouble!"

"That's what the Invisibility Cloak is for." Harry replied, still desperate to find out what was going on. How could Sirius be alive? He'd seen him fall through the veil himself… But hope was beginning to stir in Harry and his impatience to check to see if Sirius was really there grew exponentially.

Seeing that Harry was adamant to go see, Hermione relented. "We can't all fit under it."

"You, Ron, and Harry go." Ginny said. "We'll keep an eye on the 'imposters'." She wanted desperately to go with Harry, but she knew that this was such a personal matter to him and that Ron and Hermione were better suited to dealing with it, much to her chagrin.

The Golden Trio headed off under the cover of the cloak, straight for Professor Kuroba's office. Harry's eyes were trained on the pacing dot that was his godfather. It couldn't be anyone else… the map never lied.

Bursting in, they only saw Professor Kuroba in the room, but there was no dot for him, meaning…

Removing the cloak, Harry stared at the man dumbly. "Sirius?" Orion looked startled before his eyes fell on the map. He looked resigned.

"I should have taken that into consideration." He remarked, running a hand through his hair. "Hello, Harry."

Shock quickly turned to bitter anger as Harry glared at his godfather, feeling the biting effects of betrayal. "You've been here all this time… and you didn't even bother to tell me?"

"I had my reasons, Harry. You've got to understand…" Orion, no, Sirius tried to reason with his angry teenaged godson.

"What reasons? What was big enough to keep you from telling me that you were still alive?! From telling all of us?!" Harry exclaimed, angry tears threatening to escape his eyes.

"There are forces in this world that are bigger than you and me, Harry." Sirius declared, rubbing his temples. "My return to the living plane was complicated. It can't be explained without revealing some things that this world is not yet ready to here… in terms of what's there to look forward to after death. Thus, my life as Sirius Black was brought to an end and a new existence for me was set into place. Telling you would have threatened the very purpose of my new life."

"Care to explain? You're being rather vague." Hermione said. She wanted to know why Sirius, of all people, would deceive the one person, besides Remus, that meant the most to him.

Sirius sighed. "Look… right now, we're in a state of high alert, and you all know why. I don't have the time to explain things to you when there are risks of people overhearing. I can assure you I meant no harm by keeping my identity from you. Just… be a little more patient with me."

Harry relented ever so slightly at the sight of the pleading look on his godfather's face. He didn't even look like himself anymore, but now that Harry knew he was, he could see Sirius' familiar traits shining through from the façade.

"Fine… but after all of this is over, you better give us a good explanation." Harry said. Sirius gave him a relieved smile and nodded.

"I'll give you my word on that." The emissary of Soul Society promised.

Suddenly, a black butterfly flew in through the window, landing on Sirius' finger.

"What is that?" Ron asked curiously.

"A hell moth." Sirius explained before listening to the message it gave. His eyes hardened. "It's begun."

The Golden Trio looked at each other, unease in their eyes. Meanwhile, Sirius had taken hold of his wand and placed a black cloak over his form, covering his head with the hood. A sudden realization came to Harry.

"_You _were the hooded wizard?" he gaped and Sirius nodded.

"Keeping Orion Kuroba out of the limelight is something I'd prefer greatly, unless a desperate situation calls upon my revelation. I'm going to be doing things differently than I did in my last life." Sirius said. "As I said, I'll explain everything afterward. Stay here. I'm sealing this door. No one will be able to get in or out."

"But I thought you said we could help out in battle!" Harry argued, displeased.

"I'd like to, but for this battle… it's best that you remain safe. Please, trust me." Sirius pleaded with his godson.

"Listen to him, Harry." Hermione reasoned, seeing something in Sirius' eyes that convinced her of his intent. Harry grudgingly agreed and Sirius headed off through the window, after summoning his broom, sealing the room with kidou.

Sirius joined Ichigo, Renji, Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Rukia, Ishida, Orihime and Chad on top of the roof, seeing a large group of Death Eaters pouring out from the Forbidden Forest towards the school. The last four had joined the four Shinigami stationed at Hogwarts when they'd first seen signs of the Death Eaters arriving through Hogsmeade.

"This battle is going to be big." He surmised, crossing his arms. "It will determine which side holds the advantage."

"Then let's get in there and make sure that the advantage is with us." Rukia declared, violet eyes narrowed with determination. The others nodded and they leapt into the fray, to delay the Death Eaters' advance until the other Professors and Order members could come to help out.

Voldemort led his troops with a malicious smirk on his face. His very presence there showed that this battle would be incredibly significant. It was about time he showed his strength to the Wizarding World.

As he led the forces out of the Forbidden Forest, his eyes fell on nine distinct black clad figures perched on the roof of the school. He smirked. It looked like the mysterious warriors that interfered in his last attack would head the attack front. He didn't know how they'd predicted his attack but he wasn't the least bit worried. No matter how powerful they were, they were no match for him and his forces (at least that's what he believed).

'_Let the games begin._' He thought maliciously as he saw nodded at Hirako, eyes focused on a certain masked opponent.

--

I know this chapter was relatively short but I want the battle chapter to be by itself, so I can focus solely on that and hopefully make it even better than the last one. Please be patient with me.

Also, the karaoke interlude is going to come up soon. If you guys have any song preferences for some of the characters feel free to suggest. Characters are:

Ichigo, Renji, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Malfoy, Rukia, Ishida, Orihime, any others you'd suggest?

Duets between characters are acceptable too. I'd like to see what you guys think would fit for them.


	22. Ichigo vs Shinji

I have a feeling that it's going to take a little longer nowadays to post, thanks to being in school with two of the craziest

I have a feeling that it's going to take a little longer nowadays to post, thanks to being in school with two of the craziest classes to worry about, but I'll do my best to update as soon as I can. This chapter is longer than the last and I hope the battle scene was satisfactory. I'm still trying to work with adding the details. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

I will be also bring Nel into it soon enough. Had been watching some stuff on Youtube, remembering all the Ichigo/Nel interactions that amused the hell out of me. Also made me realize that Ichigo would make one hell of a father (makes me love him all the more, lol).

You guys have brought up some pretty interesting songs for the karaoke thing. I'm having fun deciding which to do (though I may have some characters sing more than once considering I can't resist them doing both a duet and a solo…). It's still open for those who want to pick songs for the characters.

**Argella1300**: I love the song It's My Life… will put that one in consideration. I like the way you think, lol.

**Sandcat**: I'd just been thinking about Byakuya recently. It is a bit of a pity he's not there but I can't find a way to bring him in just yet, so meh. Pity.

**Indigoia**: Crabbe and Goyle as backup dancers. Sounds amusing, but I feel bad for all the other characters, ne? Seeing those goons dance…

**Rose-of-alabaster**: sorry about the short chapter, figured I'd get a chapter up before it took me forever and the story went off into the dust for a while. But thanks for the song suggestions, I think I found a few new songs to like, not to mention a couple of them are absolutely perfect for the characters and what I want to do with them evil grin.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. If I did, Umbridge would have died and Hinamori would get a clue.

--

Chapter Twenty-OneIchigo vs. Shinji

Ichigo placed a hand on Zangetsu's hilt, eyes focused on Hirako's. His Hollow mask prevented everyone from seeing him brace himself for what he knew would come.

_Remember, if things get too tough for ya, King, I'm comin' out._ Shiro said. Going against Shinji with no holds barred spelled trouble and they knew it.

'_We'll see how this goes first._' Ichigo responded. '_Just be patient with me._' He leapt down from the roof and was met in mid-air by Hirako.

"Let's finish the battle that stupid cat interrupted last time." Hirako growled, playing his part well.

"Gladly." Ichigo responded as their swords clashed. They became blurs, one black and the other white, signifying the start of the battle as the Professors rushed out of the school in a stream while members of the Order came from the other two sides, partially boxing in the large group of Death Eaters.

Voldemort's eyes were diverted from the fight between the two Vizards as he saw Dumbledore approaching him with a solemn expression on his aged face. The Dark Lord sneered at the Headmaster. "You will fall, Dumbledore, and your beloved students will have no choice but to watch."

"We shall see who will fall, Tom." Dumbledore said coolly, raising his wand.

"_Crucio!_" Voldemort yelled, a curse that was quickly evaded as Dumbledore countered with his own spell.

Meanwhile, Remus was fighting Bellatrix, who wasn't relenting in the number of dark curses she was sending at him. "Is the little half-breed scared? Is he wondering if he's going to join my loser cousin in the afterlife?"

She was sent flying by an unexpected spell from Orion. Remus stared at the hooded figure in surprise.

"Someone had to shut her up." Orion said with a shrug of his shoulders and Remus gave the black-clad man a nod of gratitude.

"Aren't you going to help your masked friend?" Moody asked Ishida, who was helping him against some of the Death Eaters, sending his arrows to disarm and fry their wands. The lower Death Eaters fell easily to his arrows, although the stronger Death Eaters were able to create strong enough barriers to repel the arrows so they couldn't hit them.

"That's his fight. We don't interfere in battles for one's pride." Ishida responded stiffly. "He wouldn't forgive us if we did."

"I suppose I can't question the way you lot fight your battles… we're from different backgrounds." Moody mused. "_Rictusempra!_" His attack hit an unsuspecting Death Eater, and the hooded figure went down screaming.

"_Getsuga Tensho!_" Ichigo roared, sending the red-tinted black crescent at Hirako, who dispelled the blast merely with a brush of his hand. However, it didn't leave him unscathed as seen by his burned skin.

"You hold great power, boy. I could teach you more about how to wield it… if you'd let me." Hirako growled maliciously.

'_Here we go_…" Ichigo thought. "What are you going on about?"

It seemed like the entire battlefield had just frozen as everyone turned to listen to what appeared to be a most peculiar conversation between enemies. Voldemort and Dumbledore paid the most attention.

"I'm saying I can make you even more powerful than you already are. The Dark Lord can make you more powerful than you already are. Join us and you'll become unstoppable." Hirako said, sounding rather convincing.

The silence that rang around them was deafening. Many of the wizards were either frozen with fear (the Aurors, Order members and Professors) or anticipation (the Death Eaters) at the thought of the formidable masked warrior joining Voldemort.

Ichigo was frighteningly silent, just staring at Hirako with blank golden eyes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke in that strange distorted version of his own voice. "There is no denying it… I want power. I want to become stronger…" he began.

Those who fought for the Light seemed to become a little disheartened as it didn't seem like Ichigo was heading in their favor. The only ones who didn't jump to any conclusions were Ichigo's nakama, Dumbledore, and Moody.

Voldemort smirked, seeing victory slowly trickling into his fingers… until Ichigo spoke again.

"But your reason for wanting power and mine are very different. I want to be strong so I can _protect_ those around me, just like how I've always sworn to do. And you… you're just selfish in your own desires. As long as I'm around… I will be standing against you and your damned Dark Lord, making sure you don't get what you want." Ichigo vowed, his reiatsu spilling out comfortably like a safety blanket around those who fought against Voldemort.

Ichigo's words angered Voldemort. His defiance reminded him of a certain Boy-Who-Lived. "Insolent child…" he cried out. "_Crucio!_"

Ichigo hadn't exactly counted on Voldemort's retaliation and screamed out in pain as the curse hit him full on. The Vizard thrashed horribly in the air before he began to fall. Hirako, almost on instinct, moved to save his comrade, but froze, knowing if he did so, he'd blow his cover.

_That's it. I'm takin' over!_ Shiro exclaimed, pushing Ichigo back into their Inner World. He righted himself, still feeling the pain in his nerves. He didn't let it bother him, however. "_You're beginnin' to irritate me, snake face._"

Voldemort blinked at the clearly different personality that had taken hold of the boy who had refused to join his forces… and his clear lack of acknowledgement of the pain caused by the spell. He intensified the curse, but he only got a twitch in response. "What the hell are you?" he growled in annoyance.

"_I could ask ya the same thing_." Shiro sang, giggling insanely. "_Not that I care. You're dead where ya stand as it is._ _**Cero.**_"

A basketball-sized cero shot out at Voldemort with great speed. Unfortunately for Shiro, the cero never hit Voldemort as it met his shield. The shield cracked, but the brunt of the blast had gone away with it. Shiro scowled in disappointment.

"_I'll deal with ya later. Firs' I gotta deal with my current play thing._" Shiro said, lunging at Hirako.

Hey, you already did what you wanted. Let me have control again. Ichigo called out, worried that Shiro may go a little too far against Hirako.

'_Hmm… fine._' Shiro pouted and they switched places.

"Let's continue where we left off." Hirako smirked and off they went.

"You had banked quite a lot in the boy joining your forces, Tom. Have you grown so greedy at the thought having one more addition to your two newest followers?" Dumbledore queried, sounding a little amused at Voldemort's misfortune. Voldemort glared, hate clear in his eyes.

"He will die alongside you and Potter, I can promise you that." The Dark Lord hissed angrily. The battle recommenced again, this time the Death Eaters fought with even more ferocity.

'_Just what I would expect of Kurosaki… he affects everything he becomes involved in. The strange x-factor that gets in the way of whatever plans one may have…_' Aizen thought with a smirk as he humored the Death Eaters he was fighting, making it seem like he was having difficulty against them when he could easily crush them in seconds by raising his reiatsu.

"For a moment there, I thought your friend was really going to give in to that other masked person." Moody grumbled as he and Ishida continued to work side by side against the Death Eaters, who were now resorting to much darker spells in an attempt to get rid of their opponents.

"That idiot would never join the likes of Voldemort. It goes against everything he stands for. Regardless of his fearsome exterior and that mask which seems to leave everyone uneasy about him… his heart is always for protecting those he cares for. Your Dark Lord is the exact opposite… he wishes to destroy everything for he has nothing to care for save power. The stupid berry would never agree to that." Ishida declared, panting. He was growing tired and the boils that covered his right arm were beginning to make it hard for him to continue use his bow.

"For one who has so much faith in him, you insult him quite a bit." Moody remarked, amused as he blasted away another Death Eater, using a combination of a Stunner and the Banishing Charm.

"_Daiguren Hyourinmaru!_" Hitsugaya yelled, sending a much more powerful version of his shikai attack now that he had switched to Bankai while fighting against Hiyori alongside Matsumoto.

Hiyori growled angrily, firing a cero to destroy the attack, but some of the ice shards still managed to harm her. "You're really annoying, short stack." Hitsugaya scowled at the insult, but otherwise remained stone cold.

"You're one to talk, small fry." Matsumoto shot back in defense of her beloved captain. "_Unare, Haineko!_"

"Shut up, you big breasted bimbo!" Hiyori cried in frustration, sweeping her sword through the air and dispelling the ash that came at her. Thus, the name calling contest started between the 10th Division Vice-Captain and the former 12th Division Vice-Captain.

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched at the scene in front of him, growing irritated. "Such children…" he groaned under his breath.

"Why won't you fall already?" Renji growled in annoyance as he fought against one Lucius Malfoy. He swung Zabimaru at the blonde viciously, only to be met with a shield. Sparks flew from the blade at the collision before Renji called it back. It was relatively difficult for him to fight with so many wizards around him, both bad and good. He couldn't use Zabimaru to his fullest due to the limited space. He had tried to pull Malfoy away from the main scene, but the Death Eater proved to be quite uncooperative.

"You may as well give up… you're just a mutt yapping at the moon." Lucius taunted. Renji glared openly. That insult hit way too close to home.

"You shouldn't have said that, bastard." He growled, taking to the air. "_Higa Zekko!_" The segments of Zabimaru broke apart and sharpened, going at Lucius from all different directions.

Cursing loudly, the wizard tried to defend himself from all of the segments but still got hurt by a few, wounding his arms, side and his right leg. As Zabimaru reattached itself, Lucius glared maliciously. "Damn you…"

"Don't underestimate me next time." Renji said hotly. "You have no idea what we're capable of."

"I'm beginning to see that." Lucius sneered.

"_Hado 31: Shokatsui!_" Rukia cried, sending the blue blast at Snape. He was quick to block it. He quickly sent Foe Fire at her, but Orihime unleashed her Santen Kesshun, which kept the powerful flames from hurting her.

"Impressive teamwork…" Snape commended. "But can you keep it up? _Petrificus Totalus!_"

The spell struck Rukia and she was unable to stay in the air. She began to fall and Orihime let out a cry of alarm.

Luckily, Chad was there and he quickly caught the falling noble. "Daijobou?" he asked. He stood guard over her as she fought to break the magical binds. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible.

"I'm fine… if only I could break free." Rukia snarled under her breath.

"_Finite Incantatem_." A voice called out. The three black clad figures turned to see that it had been Remus who had freed her. He gave them a nod of acknowledgement before focusing on his own battle.

Rukia straightened out and glared at Snape. Now she knew just how careful she had to be around him. He was crafty enough to use even the smallest of spells in a way that was advantageous to him.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Voldemort's battle was becoming increasingly awe-inspiring. Their skill in dueling was clearly unmatched, yet at the same time, it was becoming clear just how old Dumbledore was. The group could see the battle was putting a strain on him.

Going to a height where their conversation couldn't be heard, Hirako addressed Ichigo. "We can't keep doing this forever. If this continues, there will be some serious casualties… with you and your nakama refusing to kill these humans, you're leaving yourself at a major disadvantage. You're showing them compassion that they're not granting you. You will _lose_ this fight…" he stated gravely.

"Killing Hollows and killing humans are two different things. I won't do it." Ichigo said stubbornly. Hirako gave a sigh of frustration.

"Your naiveté will be your downfall, Ichigo. But for now… we'll do things your way." Hirako said. "Cut me down."

"What?" Ichigo gaped.

"Cut me down. If it appears that I've been defeated and you're still ready to fight, it will give the inclination that the tide has turned in your favor. Voldemort will have no choice but to retreat the moment you focus your attention on his forces. Your comrades have already decimated a good amount of them. If you were to join them…" Hirako suggested.

"We'll have won the fight." Ichigo realized. "Brilliant." Hirako smirked.

"I know." He responded, almost cockily. "Now make it believable."

While not wanting to really hurt his friend, Ichigo knew it would be a small price to pay in terms of saving the lives of all the others. "_Kuroi Getsuga!_" he screamed, sending a point-blank range black crescent at Hirako. Blood splurted from the Vizard as he slammed into the ground painfully, appearing to be nearly unconscious.

The Death Eaters' resolve seemed to waver slightly at the downfall of one of their most powerful allies, shifting the tide of the battle.

Seeing that things were turning against him, Voldemort realized that the smartest thing to do was retreat. He glared at Ichigo. "You will be the first to die." He promised before he and the other Death Eaters fled. Hiyori snatched Hirako up and fled with them.

The Professors, Order members and Aurors that were still alive, cheered at the apparent victory.

The other Shinigami and Ryoka quickly took to the sky to join Ichigo. They nodded in acknowledgement to Dumbledore and the Order before going off.

"They definitely know how to leave with style." Kingsley Shacklebolt mused. "Do you think we can trust them?"

"I think so." Remus said. "I've got a good feeling about them." He felt particularly strongly about the wizard that had come to his aid. He seemed… familiar. Even the wolf in him felt that way, but Remus denied the feeling he was getting that told him it was none other than the pack mate he knew to be dead.


	23. Aftermath

I apologize for the late update

I apologize for the late update. A lot of things have happened. I had my first anatomy and organic chemistry tests for one. Got another anatomy test coming up too now that I think about it… but I owed you guys a chapter and am now looking forward to the karaoke chappie which is coming up next.

I have also recommenced working on my first online story called Knight of the Hazard under another penname of mine: NyxShadow. It's moving into its second arc at long last.

**Argella1300**: I'm confused on what you're saying about Kirako… did I mention that somewhere or is that something from somewhere else? I never gave Hirako's Hollow's name.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

--

Chapter Twenty-TwoAftermath

"What do you mean they figured you out?" Ichigo asked Orion, chagrined.

"I was sloppy and forgot about the Marauder's Map." Orion replied, frustrated. "So much time had passed without them being suspicious of me… I suppose I got a little relaxed."

"What's done is done. There is no point in dwelling over it. It was a simple human mistake that we'll have to deal with." Hitsugaya said calmly, crossing his arms.

"Nevertheless, it may be a good idea that you talk to them before any more damage is done. Sirius Black's revival from death is not something we need out in the open just yet." Ishida said seriously.

"Right." Orion said and he flew off to return to the school.

"We should be heading back too." Chad said. "Our bosses will be wondering where we've run off."

"We'll discuss all of this again at a later time." Renji said.

"Wait." Rukia said. "Ichigo, there is still something we need to discuss."

"It's about the Vizard, isn't it?" Ichigo queried, resigned. Rukia nodded.

"They're on our side, aren't they?" Orihime deduced. "Hirako-kun and Hiyori-san wouldn't join Voldemort."

"They're working as double agents." Ichigo admitted. "They've been keeping me up to date with what's going on with the Death Eaters."

"Why didn't you tell us about them?" Renji asked.

"They asked me to keep it a secret as long as I could. Us seeing them as enemies would better convince Voldemort that they're loyal to him." Ichigo elucidated.

"So you were protecting them." Matsumoto realized. "Very noble of you, Ichigo-kun."

"Hirako-kun nearly broke character, though." Rukia frowned. "I hope Voldemort didn't notice that or Hirako-kun will be in trouble."

"He'll survive." Hitsugaya-said. "The Dark Lord may be powerful, but he won't be able to overcome a Vizard as powerful as the former Fifth Division Captain. What we should worry about is what Harry and his friends know."

"Let's go do some damage control then." Renji said firmly and the group split up to return to where they were expected to be.

Voldemort sat angrily on his throne, staring at all of his Death Eaters with narrowed red eyes.

"They knew we were coming." The Dark Lord thundered. His followers cowered under his rage. "Tell me how that is possible?" None of them dared to speak.

"_He's pissed._" Hiyori muttered under her breath in Japanese, supporting the bandaged Hirako. "_And that greasy Death Eater is giving us strange looks_."

Hirako looked to see Snape observing them with narrowed eyes. The male Vizard felt him trying to get into his mind. Hirako's eyes became that of his Hollow and he forced Snape out, leaving a malicious, challenging sneer on his face. Snape glared at him.

Their interaction caught Voldemort's eyes. The Dark Lord glared. "Hirako, step forward." He ordered. Hirako obeyed, kneeling in front of the snake-like man.

"Yes, my Lord?" Hirako intoned.

"When that boy, the one who shares your ability, fell, you moved… as if to help him. Why?" Voldemort demanded.

"Regardless of where his loyalties lie, he is still my kin. I was reacting on instinct." Hirako declared, not missing a beat. "I apologize for my mistake."

"You displayed weakness, Hirako. In front of the enemies, no less! This can't go unpunished." Voldemort hissed. "I will force the remains of your human compassion out of you. _Crucio_."

Hiyori fought to keep her and her Hollow from spilling blood at the sight of the Dark Lord torturing her comrade. All around her, the other Death Eaters chortled over Hirako's punishment. They thought it fitting that Voldemort's newest pets learned their place.

"Snape, I want you to find out how they know that we were coming." Voldemort said.

"Yes, my Lord." Snape said obediently.

"I think the battle is over." Hermione mused, looking out the window. The loud noises of the battle had long since disappeared.

"Who do you think won?" Ron inquired, curious.

"It had to be our side. If the Death Eaters won, the chaos would still be present." Harry remarked.

"Unless Voldemort wants to make us fall into a false sense of security." Hermione said darkly.

"It's good that you're considering all of the possibilities, but I'm glad to say the victory went to us." Orion said as he slipped into the window. The Golden Trio instantly went up to him.

"What happened?" Harry asked, eager to hear details of the battle.

"Voldemort attempted to recruit our masked ally, only to get an adamant rejection. Thanks to him, Voldemort lost the biggest advantage of the battle and we were able to push them back." Orion explained.

"You know who these mysterious fighters are, don't you?" Hermione assessed. "It's Ichigo and his friends, right?"

"You always were too smart for your own good." Orion sighed.

"They're not normal wizards, are they?" Ron queried. "Using those swords and other weird items."

"They're not wizards at all." Orion corrected the assumption.

"You mean they're Muggles?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Not quite. They're something different than anything you've ever seen. It's up to them, however, to share their secrets with you or not. I'm still bound to secrecy about my return and their ties to it." Orion stated.

Harry was about to inquire further when Professor McGonagall came in.

"What are you three doing here? You were supposed to be in the Gryffindor Tower." She said in a reprimanding tone.

"They were perfectly safe, Minerva. I added a few wards to my office during the battle. They'd come here because they'd had a few questions for me." Orion vouched for his godson and his two best friends.

"They still shouldn't have left. It was a dangerous move." The Deputy Headmistress reprimanded. "Return to your dormitory immediately."

"Yes, Professor." The three Sixth-year students chorused and they scurried off.

"What did they come to you for?" Professor McGonagall inquired with a small frown.

"They were stating their suspicions about the Shinigami. As I'm their guardian, the three of them suspected that I'd have all the answers." Orion responded, telling a half-truth.

"They're prying their noses in again." Professor McGonagall sighed. "I doubt they'll ever stop."

"They won't be able to get anywhere unless my charges see fit to tell them what they want to know." Orion said. "I trust you, Albus and Snape will not give away any clues?"

"We gave our word to keep their secret. We won't speak a word." The Deputy Headmistress promised.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to see the four transfer students acting normal again. A quick look at the Marauder's Map showed that it was really them this time and not the imposters.

"Where have you guys been?" Hitsugaya asked, raising an eyebrow. He was playing dumb about their trip to see Orion.

"We had to check on something quickly." Hermione said vaguely. The transfer students didn't question further. The message was clear: don't ask us questions and we won't ask you any.

Harry gestured for Ginny and Neville to follow them and they headed into the dorm room away from the transfer students. They explained their findings to the two out of the loop Gryffindors who weren't too surprised.

"I guess it makes sense. They're never around during the battles and they sure seem to have a lot of secrets." Ginny remarked. "So do you know who's who?"

"I've been thinking about it and I think I can guess." Hermione said. "The ice-dragon wielder is clearly male but is rather short… that can only be Hitsugaya. His green eyes are another big give away."

"The two big-busted females have to be Matsumoto and that Orihime girl. Matsumoto was obviously the one backing Hitsugaya up." Ron said. Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes. Trust Ron to remember them of all people.

"The other short figure was obviously a girl. She had to be Rukia." Neville said with a nod. "That was her name, right?" The others nodded.

"The giant was that Chad guy that Ichigo is so close to." Harry said, thinking about it. "It can't be anyone else."

"The guy with the bow and arrow has to be Ishida. He was too slim to be any of the other guys." Hermione commented.

"The guy with the red eyes and the serrated blade had to be Renji. He was clearly headstrong enough." Ron commented.

"Renji and Ichigo have too similar personalities to be judged in such a manner, but I suppose through process of elimination, it has to be Renji. Ichigo is clearly the masked warrior. Though, it's just the feeling I get from him that makes me certain that it's him." Harry said.

"There are so many things still unclear…" Hermione said, sounding displeased. "Until we figure them out, we won't get any answers about Orion's return."

"Then we'll just have to continue investigating." Neville said.

_**They've figured it out, Ichigo.**_ Zangetsu remarked.

'_It appears that way._' Ichigo agreed, feeling surprisingly calm about it.

_What are you going to do about it, King?_ Shiro queried.

'_Nothing for now._' Ichigo said. '_They'll come to us when they're ready to hear the answers._'

_**A surprisingly wise assessment, Ichigo.**_ Zangetsu complimented, sounding approving.

'_Hey! I can be wise when I want to be!_' Ichigo huffed. He could feel Zangetsu' smirk while Shiro cackled in the background.


	24. Interlude 2 part 1

Sorry it took me so long to update, it's getting harder to find time to focus on the stories. I didn't want to keep you waiting for too long, so I'm updating the first half of the karaoke thing. I'm a little doubtful of some points so if there's any way you think I could improve the second half, feel free to tell. Sorry if it's a little weak…

**Indigoia**: only the Golden trio have found out who Orion is, no one else.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach or Harry Potter or any of the songs used in this chapter.

----

Interlude 2Karaoke

All the inhabitants of the Hogwarts castle found themselves situated in an open space in Hogsmeade, staring at a stage.

Dumbledore had decided to treat everyone to a celebration over their victory against the Death Eaters in protecting Hogwarts, and thus, they were going to do… karaoke. A lot of people found it oddly strange but it still seemed kind of fun, so no one was complaining.

Orion had taken charge of setting up the stage and even goaded Remus into helping him with a couple of his ideas. Remus didn't mind at all… in fact he felt kind of nostalgic as they worked, thinking back on the time he'd been with the other Marauders.

"You're ready to try this thing out?" Orion asked Remus, a hauntingly familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye. Remus nodded.

Orion and Remus headed to the center of the stage, receiving loud cheers from the excited students and Hogsmeade residents who were looking forward to what the Professor and ex-Professor had come up with.

"_Sonorus._" Orion whispered, casting the spell on himself before his voice boomed out. "**Good afternoon, are you all ready to have some fun?!**"

The roar of the audience only increased in volume and Orion grinned widely, seeming more like the fun-loving Marauder he had once been instead of the mysterious professor that most people didn't know anything about.

"**Good, because we've got quite a treat for you all. We've enchanted the stage so that the moment you step on it, a song is chosen for you to sing that suits you in some way. Not only that, your clothes will change to in accordance to what the song is. Have fun with it!**" Remus spoke out and loud, excited murmurs filled the air.

"**I'll give you a demonstration so you know what to expect.**" Orion said, nodding to Remus. Remus walked off the stage before activating the spell.

The students 'oohed' and 'awwed' as Orion's nice, proper black robes turned into black leather pants, a white wife-beater and a leather jacket. The music started, producing a fast-paced beat and as Orion saw the beginning lyrics that appeared on the holographic screen in front of him, he smirked.

He gazed at the audience before he began to sing.

"_I'm another king and robber  
I'm a brother trampling on your dreams  
Before they stand in the way of mine_

He's a fighter with a hunger for disaster  
A decider chained to the fate of the world  
But words are left unheard

Feel the weight on your shoulders  
Is there anyone anymore  
To slow our fall, yeah  
All those people, all that power  
Is there anyone anymore  
Is there anyone anymore."

Harry watched his godfather sing and couldn't help tapping his foot to the beat. Sirius – no, Orion – wasn't a bad singer, but he wasn't the greatest either. But still, the song was catchy and he saw everyone was enjoying themselves. So glancing around, he pushed all thoughts aside and watched. He smirked as he saw Orion begin to a little dance as he sang. He was enjoying himself too.

"_She's a lover a true-love mocker  
And every dollar she earned at the cost of those  
Who believed enough to let it show_

In your mirror you will see a winner  
A celebrated sinner standing in line with the vain  
Those self-appointed modern day saints

Feel the weight on your shoulders  
Is there anyone anymore  
To slow our fall, yeah  
All those people, all that power  
Is there anyone anymore  
Is there anyone anymore."

Remus had joined the other Order members on the side, observing the strange new recruit. Why was he so familiar? Particularly now that he was letting loose and goofing off instead of being serious… it made him think back to times when the Marauders had all been together and hadn't had to worry about the war against Voldemort…

"_It's not about conformity  
It's abuse of individuality  
It's insanity, it's reality  
It's the promised land of hypocrisy_

Feel the weight on your shoulders  
Is there anyone anymore  
To slow our fall, yeah  
All those people, all that power  
Is there anyone anymore  
Is there anyone anymore."

Loud cheers filled the air as Orion finished his song and waved at everyone. "**Thanks for indulging me a little there. It's your turn to amuse yourself with this stage. Have fun!**" he cried and he walked off, still wearing his new ensemble.

Loud clamor filled the air as people tried to be the first to the stage. Malfoy beat them all to it.

"Great… we'll have to tolerate _his_ singing." Ron groaned, sulking. "This is going to suck."

"You can always close your ears." Hitsugaya remarked, looking bored. He was thankful that people were so engrossed in the karaoke that they didn't notice him sitting a few feet higher than he should be, on solidified spirit particles. It was the only way he could see what was going on, much to his chagrin.

The moment Malfoy got on the stage, his clothes changed. Malfoy now wore tight gray pants and a sleeveless green shirt with a silver snake drawn on it like it was wrapped around his chest.

"Talk about being Slytherin through and through." Neville remarked at the sight of Malfoy's new clothes.

"No kidding." Ichigo said with a smirk.

Malfoy smirked at everyone as the music started.

"_If you want it to be good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy  
(Yeah I like this, ha ha)_

If you want it to be wild  
Gotta know just who to dial baby (that's me)  
If you really like it hot  
Get someone who hits the spot honey (oh yes)."

As the music picked up, Malfoy wowed everyone as he did a back flip and started dancing.

"I've got to hand it to him… he dances well." Matsumoto admitted grudgingly. "But he can't beat my Taichou!" The loving way she spoke it made Hitsugaya flush.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Rangiku…" Hermione began. "What does Taichou mean?"

"It means Captain, of course. It's my little endearment for him." Matsumoto said with a wink. "He's got what it takes to be a Captain, wouldn't you say?"

"I guess so." Harry admitted before they were diverted by Malfoy's singing again.

"_And if you want it to get done  
Babe you gotta get the one  
The one who's got it goin' on  
If you wanna make it last  
Gotta know just who to ask  
Babe he's gotta be the best (tonight it's me)_

_If you want it to be good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy  
If you really want it good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy  
Get it like it could be, would be  
Yeah like it should be  
If you want it to be good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy_

If you like it innovative  
Better get someone creative honey (yes)  
And if you want it to be jammin'  
Gotta get somebody slammin' baby (oh yeah).

_And if you want it to get done  
Babe you gotta get the one  
The one who's got it goin' on  
If you wanna make it last  
Gotta know just who to ask  
Babe he's gotta be the best (tonight it's me)_

_If you want it to be good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy  
If you really want it good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy  
Get it like it could be, would be  
Yeah like it should be  
If you want it to be good girl  
Get yourself a bad boy_

_Heh heh heh heh now listen  
These are things your mama shouldn't know  
These are things I really wanna show  
These are things I wanna show you how  
So won't you let me show you right now? (ooh baby)_."

"This song sure seems to suit him and his arrogance, wouldn't you say?" Ginny said, scowling up at Malfoy, who seemed to be quite the hit amongst the students, regardless of the fact that he was a Slytherin. It seemed for now, everyone was willing to put House prejudices to the side.

As Malfoy's song winded down, movement for who was to go next started up once more.

"Renji, you go!" Rukia urged, wanting to see one of her companions go up and knowing Renji was most likely the one who would agree to her insistence.

"But…" Renji began to protest, but Rukia wouldn't hear of it.

"Go!" she exclaimed, and she booted him forward.

"Damn…" Renji grumbled as he wormed his way through the crowds and onto the stage.

"Good luck, Abarai-kun!" Orihime called out while everyone else voiced their support to the antsy redhead. Ichigo was just grinning evilly. At least it wasn't him up there.

When Renji stood up, his clothes began to change... into the yukata he had once wore back when he and Rukia had still lived in Rukongai. He blinked. Now this was strange…

Going up to the screen as the music played, he sighed as he saw the lyrics.

'_Might as well go for it._' Renji thought to himself before he began to sing.

"_Until the day I die  
I'll spill my heart for you (for you) Until the day I die  
I'll spill my heart for you._

As years go by I race the clock with you,  
But if you'd die right now,  
You know that I'd die too (I'd die too).  
You remind me of the times when I knew who I was (I was),  
Still the second hand will catch us like it always does.  
We'll make the same mistakes  
I'll take the fall for you,  
I hope you need this now cause I know I still do."

Rukia blinked as she heard him begin to sing. Was it just her or did it feel like that song was connected to her and Renji's past?

"It's an odd song for him, wouldn't you say?" Ron asked, not comprehending the importance.

"Not exactly." Matsumoto remarked, eyeing Rukia. "I think it suits Renji just fine."

"_Until the day I die, (Until the day I die) I'll spill my heart.  
Until the day I die, (Until the day I die) I'll spill my hear for you._

Should I bite my tongue until blood soaks my shirt?  
We'll never fall apart,  
Tell me why this hurts so much.  
My hands around your throat and I think I hate you (think I hate you)  
Still we'll say remember when,  
Just like we always do (just like we always do).

Until the day I die (Until the day I die) I'll spill my heart for you.  
Until the day I die (Until the day I die) I'll spill my heart for you...

Yeah I spill... my heart... yeah I spill my heart for you!"

People were beginning to bob their heads to the music, feeling Renji's energy clearly. It was addictive almost.

"He's not the best singer but he's sure got a way of reeling you in, doesn't he?" Luna said in her dreamy voice, swaying slightly to the beat.

"You've got a point there." Ichigo mused, crossing his arms. He stood a little straighter when Renji's eyes fell on him. Ichigo blinked.

"_My hands around your throat and I think I hate you.  
We made the same mistakes,  
mistakes like friends do.  
My hands around your throat and I think I hate you,  
and we make the same mistakes (made the same mistakes)_

Until the day I die, I'll spill my heart for you (for you)  
Until the day I die, (Until the day I die) I'll spill my heart for you (for you).  
Until the day I die, (Until the day I die) I'll spill my heart for you,  
Until the day I die,  
(Until the day I die)  
Until the day I die!"

Ichigo sweatdropped. That last bit sure seemed to be pointed at him. He couldn't imagine Renji ever thinking anything bad of Rukia.

As Renji returned to their side, he, Rukia and Ichigo shared a glance. That song sure seemed to connect with what they'd been through in the past.

Things seemed to cool down for a bit as other students got a turn for singing before Matsumoto got a little antsy and wanted to see someone she knew up there. She turned to Hitsugaya.

"Taichou! You go up there." She suggested. Hitsugaya gave her a weird look.

"Why should I?" he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm bored and I want to hear you sing! Please, Taichou?" Matsumoto pleaded, adding a pout for good measure. Hitsugaya tried to resist before grumbling and heading over.

"You've got him wrapped around your finger." Ron remarked with a small smirk. To think that such a cold guy as Hitsugaya was at the beck and call of the bubbly Matsumoto was amusing.

As Hitsugaya climbed onto the stage, his clothes changed into black slacks and a silvery white button-up sleeveless shirt. He had two black belts attached to his pants in a criss-crossing fashion and another belt wrapped around his neck. A silver dragon tattoo appeared on his right arm, its red eyes gleaming. It let out a roar and actually _writhed_ around his arm.

"Now that's cool." Neville whistled, amazed.

The music began and it seemed Hitsugaya was actually beginning to get into the mood, even going as far as to raise the tattoed in the air and pulse it with the beat.

"_I will dedicate  
And sacrifice my everything for just a second's worth  
Of how my story's ending  
And I wish I could know if the directions that I take  
And all the choices that I make won't end up all for nothing_

_Show me what it's for  
Make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what I've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer!_"

By this time, everyone else had joined Hitsugaya with their arms in their air or clapping with the beat.

"He's really good." Harry mused. "And he hadn't even wanted to go up there."

"That's Hitsugaya for you. He excels at whatever he tries." Renji said with a hint of pride in his voice for his fellow Captain as he watched Hitsugaya dance with the grace of an untameable dragon as he sang.

"I think I'm falling more in love with him now…" Matsumoto said dreamily. You could practically see the hearts in her eyes.

"_Help me carry on  
Assure me it's ok to use my heart and not my eyes  
To navigate the darkness  
Will the ending be ever coming suddenly?  
Will I ever get to see the ending to my story?_

_Show me what it's for  
Make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what I've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer!_"

"Look at Malfoy." Ron said with a gleeful tone, looking at the jealous Slytherin. "Hitsugaya is totally topping his performance."

"DAMN STRAIGHT!" Ichigo and Renji roared together, pumping their fists into the air. Having heard the exclamation, Hitsugaya smirked at his companions.

"_How much further do I have to go?  
And how much longer till I finally know?  
Because I'm looking and I just can't see what's in front of me  
In front of me_

_Show me what it's for  
Make me understand it  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer  
Is there something more than what I've been handed?  
I've been crawling in the dark looking for the answer!_"

The response Hitsugaya got for his song was thunderous and he flashed a smirk before he rejoined his awestruck companions. He instantly got glomped by Matsumoto.

"You were brilliant out there, Taichou!" she squealed. Peeling himself away, Hitsugaya straightened out his new attire.

"I'm glad you liked it." He said, his cheeks tainted pink as he saw the way she was checking him out.

"You had the entire audience going." Hermione complimented. "You surprised us." Hitsugaya just shrugged. He was just hoping they'd stop paying too much attention to him. He didn't particularly like it.

"We need to see if anyone out of us can top that." Ginny decided in determination. "How about you, Harry?"

Harry blanched and shook his head. "I couldn't possibly go up there. I'd look foolish." He protested.

"We braved it." Renji said, grabbing one arm while Hitsugaya grabbed Harry's other. "And so will you."

"This will be good." Ron said as Harry was dragged off to the stage.

"Have fun!" Renji exclaimed with a wide grin as he and Hitsugaya returned.

Harry groaned as his robes turned into a pair of torn jeans and a white shirt with a denim vest over it. Looking nervously at the crowd as the music started, Harry then diverted his attention to the words.

Emboldened by his friends words, he began to sing.

"_Memories consume  
Like opening the wound  
I'm picking me apart again  
You all assume  
I'm safe here in my room  
Unless I try to start again_

_I don't want to be the one  
The battles always choose  
'Cause inside I realize  
That I'm the one confused_

_I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I know it's not alright  
So I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit  
Tonight._"

"That hits…" Hermione began, stunned.

"A little close to home." Ron finished. They knew of Harry's frustrations with the war and the role he'd been forced into. The song expressed that strongly.

"_Clutching my cure  
I tightly lock the door  
I try to catch my breath again  
I hurt much more  
Than anytime before  
I had no options left again_

_I don't want to be the one  
The battles always choose  
'Cause inside I realize  
That I'm the one confused_

_I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
I don't know why I instigate  
And say what I don't mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I'll never be alright  
So, I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit  
Tonight._"

Remus turned his head and saw a troubled look on Orion's face as he listened in on what Harry was singing. "Is something wrong?" he asked curiously. Orion shook his head.

"Everything's fine." He assured the werewolf. He wasn't sure he liked this song for Harry. That darkened look Harry bore as he sang… tugged at Orion's heart strings. The song fit him too well and made him remember how hard life was for his godson.

"_I'll paint it on the walls  
'Cause I'm the one at fault  
I'll never fight again  
And this is how it ends_

_I don't know what's worth fighting for  
Or why I have to scream  
But now I have some clarity  
to show you what I mean  
I don't know how I got this way  
I'll never be alright  
So, I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit  
I'm breaking the habit  
Tonight_."

Harry stopped singing and gazed upon the crowd nervously, sighing in relief as the song had been, for the most part, well received. He quickly scurried off the stage and back to his friends.

"You didn't do so bad." Neville said with a bright smile. Harry gave him a grateful look.

"It wasn't so bad." The Boy-Who-Lived admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Me next!" Orihime said enthusiastically as she rushed off to the stage.

"She's quite lively." Hermione remarked. "It's nice to see that during these hard times."

"That's Inoue for you." Ichigo said with a fond hint in his voice, smiling as he saw the pride in Ishida's eyes as he watched his love go on the stage.

Orihime's outfit changed so she now wore a pair of denim capris, a white blouse and a black jacket with a white fur collar. It was a relatively modest outfit, much to Ishida's relief. He didn't feel like having to defend her virtue from lustful teenage boys.

Orihime flashed a bright smile as the music began. Winking at her friends, she began to sing.

"_Look at me  
You may think you see  
Who I really am  
But you'll never know me  
Every day  
It's as if I play a part  
Now I see  
If I wear a mask  
I can fool the world  
But I cannot fool my heart_

Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight back at me?  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?"

"She sings nicely." Luna said, leaning her head against Neville's shoulder, earning an incredulous look from the once shy wizard.

"That she does." Ishida agreed, pushing his glasses up. It was a sort of sad song for Orihime, but he understood how it fit her.

"_I am now  
In a world where I  
Have to hide my heart  
And what I believe in  
But somehow  
I will show the world  
What's inside my heart  
And be loved for who I am_

Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight back at me?  
Why is my reflection  
Someone I don't know?  
Must I pretend that I'm  
Someone else for all time?  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?"

"She looks happy." Matsumoto said, nodding in approval. "Glad one of us is completely comfortable up there."

"She was the only one who went willingly." Renji muttered under his breath, only to get his foot stepped on by an irate Rukia. "Ow!"

"_There's a heart that must be  
Free to fly  
That burns with a need to know  
The reason why_

Why must we all conceal  
What we think, how we feel?  
Must there be a secret me  
I'm forced to hide?  
I won't pretend that I'm  
Someone else for all time  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?"

Loud applause filled the air as many of Orihime's new "fans" cheered for her. An overprotective Ishida escorted her off the stage, away from the guys who were getting a little _too_ close to the innocent girl.

"You were amazing." He complimented and she lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, kissing him full on the lips. Cat calls filled the air as Orihime pulled her blushing lover back to their group.

"My turn!" Rukia exclaimed enthusiastically before shooting a demonic look at Ichigo and Renji. "You better cheer."

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo said in a bored tone, rolling his eyes. Rukia headed off to the stage and her outfit changed into a red cheongsam with a pink cherry blossom pattern that was obviously representative of her brother. The cheongsam stopped just above her knees.

"Wow." Renji gaped. Ichigo just shook his head at his obviously enamored friend. Nevertheless, he had to admit that Rukia looked nice.

Smirking proudly, Rukia began her song.

"_When leaves have fallen  
And skies turned into grey.  
The night keeps on closing in on the day  
A nightingale sings his song of farewell  
You better hide for her freezing hell!_

On cold wings she's coming  
You better keep moving  
For warmth, you'll be longing  
Come on just feel it  
Don't you see it?  
You better believe it.

When she embraces  
Your heart turns to stone  
She comes at night when you are all alone  
And when she whispers  
Your blood shall run cold  
You better hide before she finds you!"

"She's having even more fun than Orihime." Ichigo said, shaking his head. "I wonder what Byakuya would think if he saw her on that stage?"

"He'd most likely drag her off while lecturing her of how singing in front of everyone is unbefitting of someone of her status." Renji said mockingly.

"Who's Bya-koo-ya?" Ron asked, botching up the name.

"He's Rukia's older brother by adoption. He's a rather… strict person." Ishida said diplomatically.

"_Whenever she is raging  
She takes all life away  
Haven't you seen?  
Haven't you seen?  
The ruins of our world!_

She covers the earth with a breathtaking cloak  
The sun awakes and melts it away  
The world now opens its eyes and sees  
The dawning of a new day!

Whenever she is raging  
She takes all life away  
Haven't you seen?  
Haven't you seen?  
The ruins of our world!"

"So how was I?" Rukia asked as she popped up with her comrades again. Everyone told her she did well, afraid of her temper if they said anything other than compliments.

Songs within this half included:

Anyone, Anymore: Lovex

Bad Boy: Backstreet Boys

Until the Day I Die: Story of the Year

Crawling in the Dark: Hoobastank

Breaking the Habit: Linkin Park

Reflection: Christina Aguilera

Ice Queen: Within Temptation


	25. Interlude 2 part 2

School drives me absolutely nuts. Even with finals coming up next week, I swear this chapter is keeping my sanity. Mind you, you'll see with who I have more fun doing the karaoke bits with . I had more fun writing this one than the last one.

Hope you like it. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: you know this by now.

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Interlude 2 part 2

It was a while later that Orihime turned to Ishida. "Ishida-kun should go up there?" she chirped happily.

"W-what?" Ishida gaped, pushing his glasses up nervously.

"C'mon, Ishida-kun, do it for Orihime-chan!" Rukia exclaimed excitedly, knowing those were the exact words needed to convince Ishida.

"If that's what she wants," Ishida said, making his way forward.

"He's so easy," Ichigo mused with a sweatdrop.

As Ishida headed up, his clothes changed to the strange outfit he'd had when he'd been fighting Kurotsuchi back when they'd tried to save Rukia from execution.

"Is he wearing a dress?" Ron asked dumbly.

"It's not a dress, it's a hakama," Chad corrected, leaving it at that. Poor Ron was left confused.

"Shh, he's singing!" Orihime cried in excitement.

"_Despite the lies that you're making,  
Your love is mine for the taking.  
My love is, just waiting,  
To turn your tears to roses!_

Despite the lies that you're making,  
Your love is mine for the taking.  
My love is, just waiting,  
To turn your tears to roses

I will be the one that's gonna hold you,  
I will be the one that you run to,  
My love is a burning, consuming fire!"

"It's definitely about Orihime," Renji blurted out, causing the red-haired girl to blush prettily.

"_No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars!  
Hear my whispers in the dark.  
No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far!  
Hear the whispers in the dark,  
Whispers in the dark._

You feel so lonely and ragged,  
You lay there broken and naked.  
My love is, just waiting,  
To clothe you in crimson roses!

I will be the one that's gonna find you,  
I will be the one that's gonna guide you,  
My love is a burning, consuming fire!"

"If a guy sang that to me, I'd be head over heals," Hermione sighed, catching Ron's attention.

"_No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars!  
Hear my whispers in the dark.  
No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far!  
Hear the whispers in the dark._

No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes I'll light the night with stars!  
Hear the whispers in the dark.  
No, you'll never be alone!  
When darkness comes you know I'm never far!  
Hear the whispers in the dark,  
Whispers in the dark,  
Whispers in the dark,  
Whispers in the dark."

"Your boyfriend's completely in love with you," Ginny remarked, nudging Orihime. "You're very lucky."

"T-thank you," Orihime said, still blushing. When Ishida returned, she rewarded him with a deep kiss, leaving him speechless but happy.

"Not bad, Ishida," Ichigo complimented. The Quincy just gave a goofy smile, still affected by Orihime.

"My turn," Ginny decided, feeling compelled to go up after Ishida's performance. She was going to show Harry just what he was being blind to.

When she got onto the stage, her outfit changed to a pair of white pants that flared at the bottom and a pink halter top shirt that showed off her midriff.

"That's too revealing!" Ron cried out in outrage. "She needs more clothes!"

"Ginny's a grown girl, Ron, she can decide what to wear by herself," Hermione told Ron, trying to put a stop to his overprotective nature.

Ginny caught Harry's eye and winked, causing the Boy-Who-Lived to flush as she began to sing.

"_I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.  
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.  
Oh._

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.  
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me.  
No.

Take me away: A secret place.  
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.  
Take me away: A higher place."

"Is it just me or is she looking at Harry?" Matsumoto asked her Captain, smirking at the blushing Harry.

"She's looking at him." He confirmed, an identical smirk on his face.

"_I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.  
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.  
Oh._

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.  
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me.  
No.

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.  
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.  
Oh.

Wish that you could, but you ain't gonna own me.  
Do anything you can to control me.  
Oh, no.

Take me away: A secret place.  
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.  
Take me away: A higher place."

"She's teasing him," Rukia whispered to Renji. "The poor boy looks like he's going to overheat?"

"And her brother is giving him death glares," Renji responded, looking ready to crack up.

"_There's a place that I go,_

But nobody knows.  
Where the rivers flow,  
And I call it home.

And there's no more lies.  
In the darkness, there's light.  
And nobody cries.  
There's only butterflies.

Take me away: A secret place.  
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.  
Take me away: A higher place.

Take me away: A secret place.  
A sweet escape: Take me away.

Take me away to better days.  
Take me away: A higher place.

Take me away: A secret place.  
To better days take me away.

Take me away to better days.  
Take me away: A higher place.

The sun is on my side.  
Take me for a ride.  
I smile up to the sky.  
I know I'll be all right.

The sun is on my side.  
Take me for a ride.  
I smile up to the sky.  
I know I'll be all right."

Ginny came back to see Harry gaping at her and Ron sulking. "So how did I do?"

"You did great, Ginny. You really stirred the crowd," Hermione complimented, looking at her two best friends in amusement.

"It's my turn," Matsumoto chirped, blowing a kiss to Hitsugaya. "Watch me, Captain." He merely nodded in acquiescence.

She headed for the stage amongst a loud group of cheers and catcalls, which instantly stopped the moment they felt the strange chill fill the air. They'd long since associated it to any unwanted attention being centered on the busty woman.

Her outfit changed to a skimpy periwinkle blue strapless dress with parts of her midsection bared to the public eye. A silvery serpentine dragon design was wrapped around the blue cloth, making Hitsugaya's eyes glow with hidden pride as he saw it.

She winked at him as the music started and she tapped her foot to the beat.

"_Do it, do it  
You know you doin' it well._

Here's the thing  
I was minding my business doin' what I do  
I wasn't trying to look for anything  
All of a sudden I couldn't take my eyes off you  
I didn't even know if you could tell  
That you had me in a daze saying what the hell  
Here's my name number baby just hit my cell  
Loving everything you do 'cause you do it well  
Don't know what you got me thinkin'."

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched as he watched his Vice-Captain sing the song seductively while looking at him alone.

"She's putting all the other girls to shame with just her enthusiasm," Neville remarked in a bemused manner.

"_You ain't even tryin' to play me boy  
Think you're so good and you're so fine  
Got me sayin' crazy things  
Listen_

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well!"

"How much do you want to bet she's got half these guys wishing she was singing to them?" Harry asked the group, shutting up the moment he saw a vein twitch in Hitsugaya's forehead.

"_Let me tell you how it's gonna go  
You and me gonna need a little privacy  
I don't wanna do the dance, no dos-e-do  
I need a one woman man seven days a week  
Quit tryin' to play it cool boy make your move  
I told you how it is, nothin' to lose  
You've been staring over here all night for free  
And I ain't taken cash or credit just to guarantee  
There ain't nobody else for me boy_

You ain't even tryin' to play me boy  
Think you're so good and you're so fine  
Got me sayin' crazy things  
Listen

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well

Baby no need for false pretenses  
Baby just shock me to my senses  
Everything that you do feels right

I know what you're thinking  
Cause I'm thinking it too

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well

I ain't never met a man like that  
I ain't never fell so far so fast  
You can turn me on, throw me off track  
Boy you do it, do it  
You do it do it You doin' it well!"

The moment Matsumoto returned to Hitsugaya's side, the diminutive-sized Captain pulled her down and kissed her possessively. Cat calls filled the air, and for once, Hitsugaya didn't freeze the culprits.

"You're mine," he whispered in her ears, with all the possessiveness of the dragon he coveted so much. Matsumoto's cheeks reddened with pleasure.

"Always," she responded flirtatiously, kissing his cheek.

"It's about time you guys actually acted upon those feelings. It was getting obvious," Renji said before backing off at Hitsugaya's cold look.

"Ichigo, you still haven't gone!" Rukia realized, turning to her orange-haired friend.

"No," Ichigo said flatly, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Come on, Ichigo, we've all gone!" Harry exclaimed. "If we have to suffer, so do you!"

"Not a chance," Ichigo said stubbornly.

"Don't make us force you," Renji threatened. Ichigo fixed him with a glare.

"I'd like to see you try," the Vizard threatened. Renji had to silently concede that Ichigo could overpower him, especially if he decided to let Shiro have reign.

The impish Ron, however, made it hard for Ichigo to keep denying as he started up a chant.

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO! ICHIGO!..." people all around them began to cheer until it became deafening. A vein threatened to pop out of Ichigo's forehead.

"Alright already! I'll go if you all shut up!" he screamed and loud triumphant cheers filled the air as the annoyed 5th Division Captain headed towards the stage.

As he climbed on, his outfit changed. He now wore a nearly completely white ensemble: a Chinese-style sleeveless shirt that buttoned up in the front, a pair of slightly loose fitting pants and a pair of slippers. The only contrast was the pair of skin tight black leather gloves that went halfway up his forearm.

"I didn't know Ichigo was _that_ fit," Hermione remarked, eyeing his muscular physique appreciatively. Ron glowered.

Ichigo smirked arrogantly as the music began. He might as well get into it.

"_This ain't a song for  
the broken-hearted…  
A silent prayer for  
faith-departed…  
I ain't gonna be just a  
face in the crowd,  
You're gonna hear my voice  
When I shout it out aloud!_

It's my life,  
If it's now or never,  
And I ain't gonna live forever!  
I just want to live while I'm alive.  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway,  
Like Frankie said,  
I did it my way!  
I just wanna live while I'm alive.  
It's my life!"

The loud cheers became thunderous with as the song took them over.

"Ichigo's working his magic again," Chad said with a small smirk as he observed his best friend.

"Is there any reason to be surprised?" Rukia asked with a smile.

"_This is for the ones who  
stood their ground!  
For Tommy and Gina who  
never backed down!  
Tomorrow's getting  
harder, make no mistake  
Luck ain't even lucky,  
Got to make your own breaks!_

It's my life!  
And it's now or never.  
I ain't gonna live forever,  
I just want to live while I'm alive !  
(It's my life)!  
My heart is like an open highway,  
Like Frankie said,  
I did it my way!  
I just want to live while I'm alive.  
'Cause it's my life!"

"Your charges are something else," Remus mused when he turned to look at Orion. "They've definitely brightened this place up and I don't even know how."

"That's their special ability, it seems," Orion smirked. The Shinigami and their friends were surely the way to turn the tide in these dark times.

"_Better stand tall when  
they're calling you out.  
Don't bend, don't break,  
baby, don't back down..._

It's my life!  
And it's now or never,  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever!  
I just want to live while I'm alive!  
(It's my life)  
My heart is like an open highway,  
Like Frankie said,  
I did it my way!  
I just want to live while I'm alive!

It's my life!  
(It's my life)!  
And it's now or never,  
I ain't gonna live forever!  
I just want to live while I'm alive !  
(It's my life)!  
My heart is like an open highway,  
Like Frankie said,  
I did it my way!  
I just want to live while I'm alive!  
'Cause it's my life!"

Aizen smirked as he stared at Ichigo. This boy… was only making himself more appealing as his future warrior. It was a pity he would have to wait to make his move until the snake interference was out of the way… He couldn't deny the fact that Ichigo's presence would surely speed up Voldemort's downfall, and that was why Ichigo still remained free for now.

Suddenly black smoke covered the area and loud shouts of alarm filled the air. Were Death Eaters attacking so soon?

As the Professors rose to investigate the matter, Dumbledore quickly raised his hand to calm the mass panic. "Wait," he told them, his blue eyes twinkling.

The air was filled with a loud cackle of glee… a sound Umbridge seemed to recognize because she turned the ugliest color of green.

The sound was soon followed by Ichigo's cry of outrage and the moment the smoke cleared, everyone could see why.

Ichigo was now seated on the shoulders of a boy who looked shockingly like Ichigo, save for his white hair and pale skin. He was wearing an identical outfit to Ichigo, save for the fact that it was all black, save for the white gloves and the pair of sunglasses that covered his eyes. He had a shit-eating grin on his face.

"_Look, King! You're finally ridin' yer horse!_" the boy cackled in a watery sort of voice. He grinned even more when he heard Umbridge let out a shriek of fear in the background.

"He did not just crash this thing…" Hitsugaya groaned, smacking his face with his hand.

"He did," Matsumoto remarked, looking distinctly more amused than her bewildered and frustrated companions.

"Who is he? Where'd he come from?" Neville asked out of curiosity.

"We'll tell you later," Renji promised while his eyes for focused on the mischievous Hollow. "He must have been waiting for the moment that Ichigo would take the stage…"

"We played right into his hands didn't we?" Rukia inquired, looking a little annoyed.

"Unfortunately," Ishida bit out.

"Shiro, you ass! Let me down!" Ichigo exclaimed angrily, flushed in embarrassment. Shiro grinned.

"_Have it yer way,_" Shiro shrugged and he pushed Ichigo over his shoulders, making the poor Shinigami land disgracefully on his back behind the Hollow.

"Teme…" Ichigo growled, groaning in pain. Shiro forcefully brought Ichigo to his feet and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"_Relax, King… I only want some fun. Just sit back and enjoy,_" Shiro grinned as the music began.

"This is going to be messy…" Orion groaned, holding his head in his hands. Remus gave him a curious look. He then turned to see that Snape had a curiously murderous look on his face, his eyes set on the "twins."

"_He wears his heart safety pinned to his backpack,  
His backpack is all that he knows…  
Shot down by strangers  
Whose glances can cripple  
The heart and devour the soul!_"

Shiro proceeded to pull Ichigo up to him, a crazy smile on his face. Ichigo could clearly see that Shiro was having _way_ too much fun with this.

"_All alone he turns to stone,  
While holding his breath half to death!  
Terrified of what's inside,  
To save his life,  
He crawls like a worm from a bird!  
(ALL ALONE)  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!_"

To Ichigo's horror, Shiro proceeded to force Ichigo to dance with him. Ichigo howled in anger as Shiro twirled him around the stage gleefully.

"_Out of his mind,  
The weight pushes him whispering,  
Must have been out of his mind!  
Mid-day delusions  
of pushing this out of his head  
Maybe out of his mind!  
(Out of his mind)!_"

Shiro finally left Ichigo, who dropped to the ground, happy to be not moving anymore. He glared at his Hollow as he proceeded to leap over so he was now perched in front of Snape.

"_All alone he turns to stone,  
While holding his breath half to death!  
Terrified of whats inside,  
To save his life,  
He crawls like a worm!  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!  
(ALL ALONE)  
(ALL ALONE)  
(Crawls like a worm from a bird)  
(Crawls like a worm)  
(Crawls like a worm from a bird)!_"

"He's got guts," Ron gaped openly as he saw Shiro drag Snape from his seat and proceed to whirl him around ungracefully.

Shiro dropped Snape disgracefully before holding out a hand to Dumbledore, a mocking grin on his face. To everyone's surprise, Dumbledore just smiled and then proceeded to whisper something in Shiro's ear. The Hollow just grinned even more evilly and then proceeded to his next target: McGonagall.

"_All he knows…  
If he can't relieve it it grows,  
And so it goes,  
He crawls like a worm!  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!_"

He left a ruffled McGonagall and then proceeded to torment the other teachers, from a bewildered Flitwick who was flung around in the air, to a blushing Professor Sinestra being waltzed around.

"_Out of his mind,  
The weight pushes him whispering,  
Must have been out of his mind!_

All alone he turns to stone,  
While holding his breath half to death!  
Terrified of what's inside,  
To save his life,  
He crawls like a worm from a bird!"

When he got to Umbridge, Shiro didn't dance with her, he merely kicked her bowl of pudding into her face before moving to a bewildered Remus, who got dragged up and twirled around before he was tossed back, blushing, to Orion, who was roaring with laughter.

"_All alone  
He's holding his breath half to death!  
(Holding his breath half to death)  
Terrified,  
To save his life,  
He crawls like a worm,  
(CRAWLS LIKE A WORM)  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!  
(ALL ALONE)  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!  
(ALL ALONE)  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!  
(ALL ALONE)  
Crawls like a worm,  
Crawls like a worm,  
Crawls like a worm from a bird!_"

Shiro hopped upon the heads of the Slytherins, being especially mindful to put all of his weight onto jumping on Malfoy before leaping back onto the stage where he grabbed Ichigo, who had been attempting to flee, and then proceeded to force him into a dip.

As the music faded and the stunned audience stared, Ichigo wrenched himself away from his Hollow.

"I'm going to _kill_ you!" he screamed, lunging for his Hollow, who dodged.

"Now, now, Mr. Kurosaki, he was only having fun," Dumbledore remarked, amused.

"He didn't make _you_ dance now did he?" Ichigo grumbled, still chasing Shiro around the stage.

"I think some explanations are in order," Umbridge said, almost purple in the face.

"_The name's Kurosaki Hichigo_, _I'm Ichigo's twin brother_," Shiro lied smoothly. "_Everyone calls me Shiro, though considerin' my hair and skin_."

"And what are you doing here, Mr. Kurosaki?" Umbridge pressed.

"_I came to see Ichigo, of course!_" Shiro chirped, wrapping his arm around his chagrined King's shoulders.

"You never told us you had a twin brother, Mr. Kurosaki," McGonagall told Ichigo with a frown.

"I didn't see how it was anybody's business," Ichigo glowered, crossing his arms. "He wasn't supposed to be here in the first place."

"_Ya wound me, King…_" Shiro said, feigning hurt. "_If that's how ya really feel, I'll just leave!_" Shiro made a great show of crying that his 'big brother' didn't love him. Ichigo vowed to keep his father from influencing his Hollow anymore.

"Just leave," Ichigo grounded out and Shiro popped back into him, making it look like he'd apparated.

"You could have been nicer to him," Hermione said when Ichigo returned.

"He didn't deserve it," Ichigo grouched. "Now let's go. This thing's over."

They all agreed. They were all kind of tired now that all of the excitement was done with.

Poor Ichigo didn't know that something else would arrive to torment him just the next day…

------------

For Ichigo's outfit, I had been trying to describe the outfit Ichigo had worn in one picture that had been on the back of the volume 21 or 23.

Songs in this chapter:

Whisper in the Dark by Skillet

Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield (credit goes to **rose-of-alabaster**)

Do It Well by J Lo

It's My Life by Bon Jovi

The Bird and the Worm by The Used


	26. An Unexpected Guest

I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter up. With going to Egypt and getting into Naruto, it took me a while to actually get some of my Bleach inspiration back. I'm sorry that this is a relatively small chapter but the next one is longer, I guarantee it. Hope you enjoy it.

-------------

Chapter Twenty-Three An Unexpected Guest

"They know about us," Hitsugaya remarked, looking at the Golden Trio. "They may not know what we are but they know we're the masked warriors."

"It was only a matter of time before they connected Sirius to us," Ichigo said with a shrug. "Now it's up to them whether they're going to confront us about it or not."

"That's an awfully wise statement coming from you, Ichigo," Renji mused with a wild grin. Ichigo glowered at him.

"Shut it, bastard," Ichigo growled, turning away with a huff.

As they headed into the Great Hall for breakfast, Ichigo heard an all too familiar voice and paled.

"ITSYGOOO!!!"

"Oh no…" Ichigo groaned, bracing himself as he was tackled to the round by a green blur.

Everyone stared as the poor Death Berry was being glomped within an inch of his life by a hyperactive little girl with short green hair, sea foam colored eyes and a strange broken mask on top of her head. She kept repeating his name over and over as she bounced in his lap.

"It's good to see you too, Nel," he groaned as he finally caught his breath and peeled the Privaron Espada off of him.

"What are you doing here?" Hitsugaya asked the Arrancar, irritated.

"Nel missed Itsygo so she came to see him," Nel chirped, nuzzling her head under Ichigo's chin, Ichigo flushed as he heard a lot of the females 'aww' at him and the child clinging to him.

"I hate to interrupt this most endearing reunion but would you care to explain who this darling little girl is?" Umbridge simpered. Ichigo found that he didn't like the way Umbridge was looking at the green-haired girl.

"This is Nel Tu," he finally admitted grudgingly.

"And her relationship to you is…" Umbridge pressed.

'_Nosy bitch,_' Ichigo thought spitefully. He opened his mouth to speak when Nel beat him to it.

"Itsygo is Nel's daddy!" Nel exclaimed cheerily. Ichigo blanched and instantly started sputtering while Renji burst into loud laughter.

"She's your daughter?" Umbridge asked in disbelief. Ichigo blushed. It was too late for any other cover.

"She's my adopted daughter. I found her living on the streets and took her in," Ichigo explained with a sheepish smile.

"How noble of you," Snape said dryly. "You're a child yourself yet you took in one of your own. I hope you're responsible enough to tend to her every need."

"Itsygo's a perfect daddy!" Nel defended her favorite Shinigami.

"How did she get into the castle without alerting the wards?" Snape frowned.

"I believe that would be my doing," Orion said smugly. "Nel just seemed so depressed without her father that I couldn't deny her request to come see young Mr. Kurosaki." He was having fun with this 'father' concept.

'I'll get you,' Ichigo mouthed to Orion grudgingly.

"Professor Dumbledore, you can't be condoning this," Umbridge said. "The child will be a disruption to the students' studies."

"I see no problem. I'm certain Nel will be on her best behavior. I don't wish to be the one to come between a father and his daughter," Professor Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling.

'_Even the old man is making fun of me,'_ Ichigo groused mentally.

*_Don't worry, King. We still love ya,_* Shiro said cackling.

'_Shut up, don't think I've gotten over you materializing in front of everyone and humiliating me like you did,_' Ichigo snarled.

*_Loosen up, King. Everyone liked my act, save for the toad and the greasy haired bastard that keeps trying to rape your mind,_* Shiro inserted.

'_Snape is most certainly __**not**__ trying to rape my mind,_' Ichigo exclaimed, outraged. '_He's just trying to get into it._'

*_Exactly! Rape!_* Shiro cried out matter-of-factly. Ichigo groaned for the thousandth time that day.

'_What am I going to do with you?_' the Vizard thought.

*_Let me out to take care of the toad again?_* Shiro suggested hopefully.

'_No,_' Ichigo deadpanned. '_You ruined any chances of that when you revealed yourself to the public. She knows you're real now._'

*_Damn,_* Shiro muttered in disappointment before receding back into a corner of Ichigo's mind.

He returned to conscious thought in time to hear the Headmaster say. "Feel free to stay as long as you like, Nel."

"Yay! Thank you! I like you, long Beard Man!" Nel exclaimed.

A lot of the students gaped at Nel's new nickname for the Headmaster but Dumbledore just chuckled.

"You're very welcome. Enjoy yourself!"

Ichigo sighed as he fixed Nel onto his back before he and his friends headed to the Gryffindor table.

"You didn't tell us you had a kid, Ichigo," Ron remarked.

"You didn't ask," Ichigo responded with a shrug. He put Nel down on a chair but she climbed into his lap instead and latched onto him.

Scowling in annoyance, Ichigo gave into Nel's affections and let her stay in his lap. His eyebrows twitched when he overheard Parvati whispering something to Lavender.

"That girl has got Kurosaki wrapped around her little finger."

It was a great source of amusement for the Shinigami, Golden Trio, Ginny and Neville to find that Ichigo's female admirers increased dramatically with Nel's arrival.

Apparently, the idea that Ichigo had taken in an orphan girl who worshipped the ground he walked on made him all the more endearing in the eyes of the fairer sex. The rough edges that had scared them away had softened.

"The Order is having a meeting tonight," Hermione informed the group after class. "Are you guys coming?"

"We'll be there," Hitsugaya stated.

"As for the reinstatement of the DA, we were wondering if you'd be up to the first meeting being tomorrow night?" Ginny inquired.

"It's fine with us," Matsumoto said cheerily.

"Things are going to get interesting real fast now," Renji mused.

"No kidding," Ichigo said, keeping a watchful eye on his 'daughter' who was racing down the hallway as they walked to the Gryffindor Common Room.


	27. Coming Out with the Truth

Sorry for the long wait. I can say one thing for sure: ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IS THE CLASS STRAIGHT FROM HELL!! Good lord that class has given me nightmares (literally).

Now that the test is over and done with, I feel I can relax a bit more. Lord knows it won't be summer before I can hopefully regain my former updating abilities… but I'll try my best.

**Artificial Life Creator**: that idea _would_ be funny. Poor Ichigo wouldn't even know what hit him if he got that much attention.

**Sandcat**: I'm both reading and watching Naruto. I've paused on the watching bit, but I've been going off the walls about what I've been reading. The last few files… are like… OH-MY-FREAKING-GOD-I'M-ABOUT-TO-GO-ABSOLUTELY-INSANE! sorts. Seriously… And I'm not one who normally freaks out in such a fashion.

**Disclaimer**: You know the drill by now.

--------

Chapter Twenty FourComing Out with the Truth

"How are we going to distract Umbridge tonight?" Harry asked curiously as the group gathered at midnight.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Ichigo smirked. "Nel's on it."

"You left your own daughter to deal with that awful woman? She'll get hurt!" Hermione exclaimed, horrified.

"Trust me; Nel's a tough girl, just like her father. She'll deal," Matsumoto said with an impish smile.

"Are you guys ready?" Orion whispered to them as he came to collect them. "Albus and Minerva already left. We'll leave from here."

"Okay, Sirius," Harry said. Orion put a hand on his lips.

"Shh, the walls have ears. Do not tell anyone in the Order that I'm Sirius. Not even Dumbledore," Orion declared.

"You're going to have to explain everything to us soon," Ginny said. "We can't protect a secret without knowing what it is."

She wasn't talking to Orion.

The four Shinigami nodded their heads in agreement before they all put their hands on the Portkey.

Seconds later, they were in Grimmauld Place amongst the other members of the Order.

Mrs. Weasley quickly came and warmly greeted Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione with hugs before smiling at the transfer students. Her smile wavered slightly as Moody's barking voice rang out.

"What's this I hear about you having a daughter, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo flushed under all of the curious looks he received. "Adoptive daughter," he corrected. "I found her on the streets and I couldn't let her stay there."

"That's very noble of you, Ichigo," Mrs. Weasley said kindly. "But you're still a child yourself. How can you hope to raise her in a stable environment?"

"I have help," Ichigo defended himself. "Being young has nothing to do with this. I knew what I was getting into and I'll take full responsibility for whatever may come in the future." He was _really_ getting into the role of being Nel's father.

"That's very mature of you," Remus remarked, a smile of admiration on his face. "You have the makings of a fine young man."

"Thanks, I guess," Ichigo said, embarrassed.

"You should bring her to the next meeting. I'm sure that with a father like you, she must be quite the angel," Mrs. Weasley mused.

The four Shinigami sweatdropped. The Order would be sure to be surprised when they met the hyperactive Arrancar.

"Can we get onto business already?" Snape asked irritably. All of the adults headed into the kitchen.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Ron rounded on the Shinigami.

"You should be in the kitchen too. In the short time you've been here, you've done more in the fight against Voldemort than they did," he exclaimed confirming Hitsugaya's suspicions of them knowing.

"We've held the advantage merely because we hold the element of surprise in our hands. They know of our existence but they're unaware of our full capabilities and they have no clue what we are," the ice wielder stated.

"Well… what are you?" Neville asked out of curiosity.

"Are you sure you want to know? You may not like it," Renji remarked, knowing what humans felts about death.

"We want to know," Harry confirmed, eyes filled with determination.

"We're Shinigami. The rough English translation for that is Death God," Matsumoto said. The five wizards were in stunned silence.

"Death Gods? As in you bring death to those around you?" Ron asked fearfully.

"Not quite. Our purpose is to guide the souls of those who have already died to the other side and purify the souls of those who have fallen from grace and become creatures called Hollows. For the most part we don't do much to influence the lives of the living. That only changed when a living person joined the ranks of the Shinigami," Hitsugaya said.

"Who?" Hermione questioned.

"The orange-haired idiot over there," Renji said, gesturing to Ichigo. The Fifth Division Captain snarled angrily at him.

"I'm smarter than you, Pineapple!" Ichigo yelled, tackling Renji. The two Captains wrestled playfully on the ground until they felt a distinct chill fill the air. They straightened up quickly.

"You're still alive but you're a Death God?" Harry frowned in confusion.

"It's a long story. Rukia turned me into a Shinigami so I could protect my family. As it turned out, I was a pure-blooded Shinigami to begin with. My dad was a Shinigami," Ichigo shrugged.

"So what are you Death Gods doing here if you don't mess with the living?" Neville queried.

"We've been ordered by the higher ups to bring Voldemort's life to an end because he's severely broken the laws of Soul Society by splitting his soul into seven pieces," Hitsugaya said.

"Seven pieces?" Ron gaped. "How is that possible?"

"Dark magic," Matsumoto responded.

"That would explain why Voldemort didn't die that night when Harry's parents were killed," Hermione realized. "It's kind of ironic… the one thing Voldemort fears the most is death and now death has come to claim him."

"It's funny how Fate works, isn't it?" Renji asked, looking a little feral.

"What's with that mask of yours, Ichigo?" Ginny inquired.

The expression on the Shinigami's faces turned sober as they considered what to tell.

"As I had suspected, Voldemort tried to recruit the third masked warrior," Snape remarked. "It's fortunate that he declined the offer. If we had to face all three, Voldemort would be at a great advantage."

"What if there are more of these Masked Ones?" Tonks asked worriedly.

"We can't let Voldemort find them if they do indeed exist," Dumbledore remarked. He thought of Ichigo. The boy had been awfully tight-lipped when he'd been asked if there were others like him aside from Hirako and Hiyori. Legilimancy was ineffective against the Vizard and thus, Dumbledore was unable to get anything out of the stubborn boy.

"Voldemort, for the moment, is displeased with his masked allies. You see, the one who fought our masked _hero_ moved to _save_ him," Snape said.

"But why? They're enemies," Mr. Weasley frowned.

"Apparently, their loyalty to Voldemort isn't as strong as their loyalty to kin," Snape said dryly. "That instinct took over in the last battle, even if they were pitted against each other."

"So they're a clan…" Remus remarked. "This means that as long as our masked ally remains on our side, Voldemort will never be guaranteed loyalty by any masked warrior he comes across."

"Exactly," Dumbledore stated.

"It would be better if we knew who our hooded allies were," Shacklebolt said, crossing his arms.

"They've hid themselves well enough so far. It's clear they don't want to be found. Even by us," Orion said.

"But if we knew who they were, contacting them whenever they're needed would be much easier," Mrs. Weasley argued.

"Have you noticed that with each appearance has been related to Hogwarts?" Remus frowned.

"What are you trying to get at?" Tonks inquired.

"I think our mysterious allies are at the school," the werewolf said.

'_Damn it, Moony. Why do you have to be so smart?_' Orion cursed in his head.

"Don't be preposterous. If that was the case, we would have noticed them by now," Moody snorted, protecting the Shinigami's secret. "We'll have to face the fact that they don't want to be found."

Remus' suspicions grew. Why was Moody, of all people, trying to stop the investigation of their new allies' identities?

"It's complicated," Ichigo finally said. "I'd rather not get into it, save for the fact that it increases my power tenfold."

"How did Sirius get caught up in all of this?" Harry inquired.

"When he fell through the veil, he was found in Soul Society still alive. He filled us in on everything and we promised to return him to the Living World in exchange for his help as an emissary between Seireitei and your world," Hitsugaya explained. "You understand why you can't tell anyone who he is now, right?"

The five wizards nodded.

It was then the adults filed out of the room.

"I hope you kept yourselves occupied while we were in there?" Mrs. Weasley asked the group. They nodded.

"Kuroba, I'd like to talk to you alone," Moody said gruffly. Orion obliged, not knowing that Remus was following.

"You need to tell Lupin who you are," Moody declared.

"I can't do that," Orion responded firmly.

"Damn it, Black, he's getting closer to the truth with every passing day. It will be better if he hears it from you than anyone else!" Moody roared. It was then that his magical eye swiveled towards a shadowed corner. "Then again, don't bother. He just figured it out."

Orion whirled around to see Remus standing there, looking betrayed.

"Sirius?" Remus whispered in disbelief. "You've been here the entire time?"

"Remus, I can explain…" Orion began, his eyes pleading.

"Explain what? Why you lied to me!" Remus cried, pushing Orion into a wall. "I spent months thinking you were _dead_! Yet here you are living leisurely under a disguise! Do you have any idea how I feel?"

"Angry, sad, betrayed, confused, relieved?" Orion listed, a hopeful look on his face, reminiscent of a puppy dog.

Remus' angry face vanished altogether and he collapsed to the ground, dragging Orion down as well.

"Why can't I stay mad at you?" he groused.

"Because you love me?" Orion jested, turning into Padfoot and giving Remus' face an affectionate lick. Remus chuckled.

"You always were an arrogant git," Remus mused. "This doesn't mean you can go without an explanation, mutt." Padfoot let out a pitiful whimper before turning back into Orion.

"I'll have you know I have a pedigree!" Orion said with mock anger. "I'll tell you everything, just not here. Don't tell anyone about me. Only a select few know and Albus isn't one of them. For the most part, it would be best to leave Sirius Black lying in his grave."

"Does Harry know?" Remus inquired. Orion nodded.

"He found out through the Marauders Map, right before the attack on Hogwarts," he explained. "We should head back before people start wondering where we ran off."

"Come to my flat in two days time. You can tell me everything then," Remus said. Orion nodded.

"Ready to go?" Orion asked the teenagers when they returned. They all nodded and disappeared, using the Portkey.

Ichigo and the others were about to go for bed when Umbridge burst in, looking purple in the face. Nel was tightly gripped by the collar in one of her meaty hands. Nel was bawling her eyes out.

"You need to keep a better eye on your daughter!" she exclaimed, tossing Nel into Ichigo's hands. "She needs a lesson in manners."

"Are you okay, Nel? She didn't hurt you, did she?" Hermione asked in concern. Nel sniffled before smiling brightly.

"Nel is fine. Toad lady didn't hurt Nel at all. Nel just likes crying because she's a masochist!" she stated.

"What have you been teaching her?!" Ginny demanded, turning on Ichigo. He backed away defensively.

"It's not my fault! I found her like that!" he squawked. He sighed as he looked at Nel. '_Taku…_ _you sure like to cause trouble._'

"Where's Nel going to sleep?" Neville asked curiously.

"With Itsygo!" Nel chirped happily.

"That's not right. She's a girl, she should stay with us," Hermione said.

"She's right, Nel," Ichigo said. Nel grudgingly agreed.


	28. The New DA

First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. Now that it's summer I'll hopefully be able to update more often. This chapter was surprisingly easy to write once I got down to it.

I'm a little puzzled as to where to go from here. Any suggestions? Picking what's to happen next is so hard…

I'll have to think up an interlude for what Nel did to Umbridge so if you'd like to see anything for that feel free to say as well.

Also, I'm looking for a beta for the Naruto story I've been writing… anybody up for the job?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach.

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Chapter Twenty FiveThe New DA

The next day, once classes were finished, the four Shinigami sneaked the interested students into the Room of Requirement so that they could start the extra lessons.

Students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were all present and they seemed pretty excited to be learning from their foreign students. They were certain to know some pretty interesting things.

"So what are you going to teach us?" Seamus asked, looking a little antsy. They all did. The students didn't want a repeat of last year's disaster when Umbridge had discovered them.

Catching onto their distress, Hitsugaya was quick to reassure them.

"You don't have to worry about being caught. I put up a kidou barrier to make it that they won't be able to detect any strange activity going on here. Trust me, all they'll see is an empty corridor," he said. "Considering that Eastern Magic is yet to be well known around here, you don't have to worry about that toad figuring us all out."

"She'll figure us out regardless if that brat doesn't shut up," Ernie Macmillon said, glaring at Nel derisively. She was running around the room, sugar high.

Ichigo shot a scathing glare at the Hufflepuff, making him back away warily. "Do you have anything against my kid, Macmillon?" Ichigo scowled. Ernie quickly shook his head.

The girls in the room sighed, looking at Ichigo with dreamy eyes.

"He's so cute when he's protecting his kin…" one particularly love-struck Parvati Patil gushed.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Renji said, disgusted by the girls' mushy attitude. "Why does Kurosaki get all of the attention?"

"You're not the one with the cute daughter," Hermione pointed out, sounding amused.

"Think I can convince Yachiru to pretend?" Renji whispered to his companions.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Hitsugaya and Ichigo called out together in alarm. The thought of Yachiru and Nel in the same area sent shivers of fear down their spines.

"Something we should know?" Ron asked Matsumoto, sounding confused.

"No, not really. They're just dealing with a bit of mental trauma," Matsumoto stated, not sounding worried at all.

"So what are you going to teach us?" Dean asked, sounding quite eager.

"We'll work on the offensive kidou spell that Ai – I mean _Professor_ Aizen – taught us today," Hitsugaya stated, spitting out the name like it was poison. He turned to Ichigo. "Kurosaki, give them a demonstration of how it's done."

"Me?" Ichigo said incredulously. "Do you _know_ my record with kidou, Toushirou?"

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou," Hitsugaya retorted instantly. "And I know… but I figure we should give you a shot anyways… unless you want to humiliate yourself in front of all your peers."

Ichigo glared at Hitsugaya reproachfully before turning to the target. His scowl deepened as he saw everyone instinctively back away from him as he prepared to perform the spell.

'_So I suck at performing Kidou… you don't need to rub it in so much…_' he cursed mentally.

*_Reckon we can con them using a cero instead?_* Shiro offered helpfully. *_Shakkahou and a cero look well enough alike._'

'_That would fool the students but not the stick-up-his-ass Ice Prince,_' Ichigo huffed.

"Come on, Daddy!" Nel cheered, jumping up and down.

Sighing, Ichigo started the incantation. "_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Way of Destruction #33: Shakkahou!_"

Everyone was blinded as a gigantic red ball of energy escaped Ichigo's hand and incinerated _all_ of the five targets that had been set up for practice… and more.

Hitsugaya glared at Ichigo, who was staring at the destroyed portion of the Room of Requirement in shock.

"Do you know the meaning of _control_?" the ice wielder seethed. Ichigo opened his mouth to defend himself but quickly shut it. Growling in annoyance, Hitsugaya turned to the stunned students. "_That_ is what happens if you don't try to control how much power you put in your spell and overload it. Your attack will go completely berserk and you could hurt more than just your opponent. That is why, with Kidou, you _must_ have absolute control of your magic."

"I have a feeling I'm being made an example of…" Ichigo grumbled, crossing his arms and sitting down with a huff.

"At least you actually managed to do the spell this time," Matsumoto said, trying to sound encouraging. Ichigo just sulked.

"_This_ is what the spell looks like when you do it properly," Hitsugaya said before he performed the Hado spell correctly.

"You're really good, Hitsugaya," Neville said in admiration. Hitsugaya didn't smile or frown. He just gave a nod of acknowledgement as he watched the room repair itself and make more targets.

He then set everybody up into rows of five.

"Now, all of you will take a shot at it. We'll give you personalized help and point out anything you've done wrong. Ichigo, Renji, get in line too. You guys need as much help as them," Hitsugaya said.

"I hate it when he takes charge," Renji muttered as he and Ichigo reluctantly filed into a line amongst the students.

For the next forty-five minutes, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto painstakingly helped all of the students with the spell.

"Longbottom, stop holding back! If you keep hesitating like this, you'll not only hurt yourself but your comrades as well! If you're having so much trouble, ask Granger. She's doing it well enough!"

"Padma, you're saying the incantation wrong! No wonder you're not doing it right!"

"Finnigan, tone down the power just a bit!"

"Very good, Ginny! Try it again."

"You're getting there, Potter, just put a little more force in it…"

"Aim, Ron! Aim!"

"Can't you do a single spell without it exploding in your face, Abarai? … Kurosaki! Stop _cheating_! That's not Shakkahou!"

Ichigo grumbled as he powered down the cero he was about to shoot. '_Told you it wouldn't work, Shiro… he's got eyes on the back of his head._'

*_Damn…_* Shiro huffed.

Finally, Hitsugaya let up on them all, much to the students' relief. Kidou was exhausting.

"Think of what mistakes you made and try to fix them. You did much better tonight than you had earlier during class. All you need is a little fine tuning," Hitsugaya informed the teenagers.

As they all separated to go back to their individual Common Rooms, Ron turned to the Shinigami.

"I never thought you'd be such a hard taskmaster, Hitsugaya," Ron declared.

"Are we talking about the same guy here?" Ichigo asked. "What gave you the idea that he _wouldn't_ be a hard teacher?" He ignored Hitsugaya's glare.

"Well, I figured that because he is so…" Ron said, eyes focused on Hitsugaya's height.

"What? Young?" Hitsugaya said, guessing where Ron's train of thought was heading. "Trust me, Weasley, I'm at least a hundred plus years older than you. I'm _not_ young."

"I keep forgetting that you're dead…" Ron muttered, feeling a little foolish.

"I suppose it would be a little hard for you guys to understand," Matsumoto said. "After all, we don't _look_ dead."

"Ichigo's the real baby of the group," Renji said, looking smug. "Even Nel is older than him." Ichigo glared at Renji for the 'baby' comment and punched him in the arm.

"And yet she's playing the daughter?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You try explaining to everyone the strange dynamics of the dead," Ichigo challenged the Boy-Who-Lived, who wisely backed off the subject.

"Why are you and Renji so bad at Kidou?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Renji just sucks and Ichigo doesn't know how to control the insane amount of reiatsu he has," Matsumoto said bluntly. The two redheaded boys glared at Matsumoto crossly, not appreciating the statement.

"Just how much power do you have?" Ginny asked Ichigo curiously.

"Too much for a normal human to be able to handle," Hitsugaya said crossly. "That's why it's constantly leaking. He's a magnet for all sorts of trouble thanks to that."

"I'm surprised no Hollows have come here outside of the battles with the Death Eaters," Matsumoto mused. "It must have to do something with the defenses Dumbledore has set up…"

"That's the smartest thing I've heard you say all night," Hitsugaya said with a teasing smirk. Matsumoto glared at her lover.

"Just for that, you're not getting any tonight," Matsumoto inserted, making Hitsugaya go red in embarrassment. Matsumoto grinned, thinking she had won the argument. It was then that Hitsugaya surprised her, yanking her forward by her pink scarf.

"Since _when_ have you given me any to begin with?" he retorted, causing Ichigo, Renji and Matsumoto's jaws to drop. They hadn't expected the Ice Prince to even grace Matsumoto's joke with an answer considering his prudish nature.

Giving a triumphant smirk, Hitsugaya walked up the stairs to the Boy's Dormitory, glad that he'd got the last laugh.

"Damn he's sexy when he's all smug like that," Matsumoto sighed amorously. Ichigo and Renji looked at each other.

"We'll take your word for that," they said awkwardly before scuttling off to bed alongside Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean.


	29. Author's Note grimace

Hey, I'm really sorry that I've been taking so long with this story. For a while I'd felt like I'd lost my Bleach muse and now that it's back and I'm looking at this story, I feel like I could have done so much better with it. It's making it hard to continue with the story when I kind of want to do it better with better structure and organization.

I'm not leaving you without an opinion, however. Tell me what you think of it… should I redo it or continue on from here? And if I do redo it, what aspects of this one would you like to remain as it is in the rewrite?


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